RWBY: Thorns of a White Rose
by DStone
Summary: Beacon academy has started it's first semesters once again and the now-second year students are back fresh from summer vacation. Everything in Vale is nice and calm, except not all fairytales have a happy ending. Whiterose, Bumblebee (Only in special chapters). Second series of RWBY: A Tale of Two Roses.
1. Helping Hand

**_RWBY: Thorns of a White Rose_**

 _By: DStone_

* * *

Chapter 1: Helping hand

"I'm sorry Ruby, but I love someone else."

"W-what?!" I exclaimed, my heart cracking at the immense pain of Weiss' words. Tears started to well up in my eyes as I waited for an explanation from the heiress.

"I love someone else, she's also in our team. You can say it's a.. unique relationship." Weiss answered. By this point the tears in my eyes started to roll down my face consistently.

"B-but. I thought you loved me.." I sobbed. Wiping a tear from my red cheeks.

"I thought I did too, but it was just testing ground for someone else," Weiss stated with a cold, dark demeanour. The heiress had an evil grin as she walked around the dormroom. "I was just using you as a sample. The person I really love is.. Well, here she is now."

Weiss walked up to a darkened figure. As she approached the figure finally diffused. Standing before the white haired girl was none other than Blake. They embraced each other with deep, passionate kisses, making sure I could see it clearly. I didn't know what to do, I felt like I was gonna throw up. The picture of my stomach churning made Weiss and Blake grin evilly as they watched me hyperventilate.

"It's not only her though, it's the best of both girls." Weiss remarked. All of a sudden Yang appeared right beside her. They repeated their make-out scene again with the new set of lips, soon they began to switch between each other. I finally lost it, throwing up on the floor of our dormroom. There was something strange when I hurled. My vomit wasn't green-like, or any colour for that matter. It was dark as crude oil. It had a weird glow to it that seemed to emit the darkness from it, as if it was pure hatred spewing out of my mouth. I gasped at the image in front of me, backing away from the black puddle slowly.

"Now, get out of this dorm. I am the new leader of this crew, and as the new leader I evict you from the team," Weiss demanded, pointing her finger to the door. "Go and play in traffic."

"W-wait, you can't do that! That's not for you to decide who goes and stays!" I exclaimed, trying my hardest not to implode from a mix of anger and sadness. Weiss smirked.

"It is now, I have both of the other teammates on my side," The white haired girl stated. Weiss walked up to me and looked me straight in the eyes. "Now. _Kill yourself._ "

Weiss poked me in the forehead, making me flinch. When I opened my eyes the setting around me was changed suddenly. A chair stood before me. Dangling above it was a rope tied in a noose. It seemed to hang off pure nothingness. Weiss and the other team members sat in front, as if they were the main audience. I walked slowly up to the chair as if it was routine. When I neared the object I raised my right leg, lifting myself to stand atop the seat. I grabbed the noose and pulled the rope over my head, tightening the knot around my neck so it was snug.

" _Jump. Jump. Jump._ " the gang chanted as they awaited my final step. I took one last deep breath, jumping off the chair that seemed to stand quite a distance from the ground apparently. I pushed it aside as I now dangled by the rope around my neck.

" _Diediediediediedie._ " They started to chant quicker and stronger now. I gasped for air, but all I could muster was a choking noise as I hung from the rope. I looked up at the bright light above me as I reached for it, closing my eyes as I allowed death to creep up on me.

" _Just die._ "

* * *

I felt a hand shake me awake as I gasped in shock. returning to reality slowly. I was facing the wall on my top bunk, the heiress shaking me vigorously.

"Come on! Wake up! We have school today!" Weiss exclaimed in a cheerful-like tone. It surprised me how content she was since after the agreement we had. I turned around to see the white haired girl looking up at me and tugging at my tank-top. She grinned happily as I sat straight in my top bunk. I spun to the left and jumped off my top bunk, rubbing my eyes as I yawned. I opened my eyes to see Weiss standing before me. It saddened me a bit inside to see her.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Weiss greeted joyfully. "Come on, you need to be showered and ready for school. We got to go get breakfast at the cafeteria."

I looked at the bookshelf and picked up my meds, sighing as I read the label and rummaged through my huntress outfit for my other medication. I pulled the other bottle out, swapping the sleeping pills for it, as I undid the lid of the bottle and took one of the pills out and took it with the water that sat on the bookshelf for me (thanks to Weiss).

"Alright." I finally answered, walking sluggishly over to the bathroom attachment in our dormroom. I shut the door and locked it, turning on the water as I took off my sleeping clothes. I jumped in the shower and began to wash my body. As I neared the end of the shower I leaned my head against the wall. My heart still shattered because of what she said. It pained me to assume she could love someone else. All it would take was an interest.

And If I ever knew, my heart would break almost instantly.

 _About 12:00 p.m, in one of the classes._

The bell finally rung as professor Port waved goodbye to the students.

"Goodbye everyone. Hope you all have a good weekend." The Grimm studies teacher hollered as we exited his room. I walked down the hallway with my red hood up, following the highway of other people in front of me. I thought about the words Weiss said the first day of school. Those words stung my heart like salt in a wound. I wasn't expecting our first relationship problem to be on the first day of school, the time I needed and wanted her the most.

 _About a week and a half ago._

"I'm sorry Ruby... but I think we just need some time apart."

It was the end of the day, on the rooftops of our dormroom when Weiss said this statement. "I just think if we separate for a month or so it will help see if this is true love or if it's not meant to be."

My heart broke, just like the last time it hurt so much, back when Silica passed away. I was about to cry.

"Oh, please don't cry hun. I-I'm just not comfortable being lesbian in public, not when everyone's watching." Weiss explained.

"B-but, you kissed me in public, many times!" I exclaimed. Weiss held her finger up.

"I made sure no one was watching. And girls hold hands all the time in public."

"Y-you got me those cookies, and that onesie, and you said that you'd be by my side whenever I needed you!"

"And I will! Just as a friend for now though. It's just for a month Ruby, I just want to see if it's meant to be. I feel like I'm smothering you, I'm babying you because of your condition."

"What if I like being smothered?!" I proclaimed. "What if that little bit of gesture got me through the day?!"

"Did it?" Weiss asked. I looked at her shyly

"N-not exactly, it was more of a series of things." I answered, lowering my tone as I finished the sentence.

"And most of them I can treat you also on a friendly basis," Weiss held up my wet cheeks. "We're not breaking up, it's just a breather. We need to focus on schooling. And it's not like we're never seeing each other ever again, we're just focusing on what's more important first. I'll still make sure you take your medication and we can still talk like friends. Okay?" Weiss explained.

I didn't know what to do. Half of my heart wanted me to run away, to go to a place where I was alone and didn't see or hear my lover. The other half weighed in that I'd have to go back eventually and deal with the fact that I am, once again single, and that I'd just have to live alone again. Surrounded by my friends sure, but alone in my pain once again. I nodded my head finally.

"Okay." I muttered. Weiss kissed me on the cheek.

"Thank you for understanding." She said with a positive grin.

 _Present day._

It's been a week and a few days since we 'separated'. I promised Weiss I wouldn't tell Yang, Weiss promised me she'd be there for anything I needed, on a friendly basis that was. My heart felt like it was sinking in quicksand ever since. I decided to up the appointments per week, now I see my therapist twice a week instead of once. With it I also decided to read a little more too. I'd walk to the library every other day, either with Blake or alone and I'd read big chapter stories. But at the end of the day, when I return to my dormroom, I feel less and less wanted as a person and more wanted as a leader. That pained me the most, but I learned to sheathe my suffering in my little, broken heart and took to helping other people with their problems first. After all, it is my job.

"Hey Ruby!" A content voice greeted me as the person slapped me on the back. I removed my hood and looked over to the sound, to find it was Pyrrha. She gave me a happy smile as we walked down the stone walkway to the dining hall. "How you doin'?"

"I'm good," I lied, plastering on a fake smile for the redhead. "How are you?"

"I'm great, I overheard team CRDL found a bunch of baby beowolves walking with the more grown up ones today. They took a picture of it and posted it on Facebook," Pyrrha squealed in excitement. "They are sooo cute!"

I gave Pyrrha a funny look. "That's odd, for someone who hunts these creatures you sure seem to adore them in their youth." I stated. Pyrrha shrugged.

"I love baby animals, be it evil or not. They are a part of life too, even if they are dark creatures." the champion responded. I nodded in agreement as we continued to walk to the dining hall.

The lineup to the servery was long, a lot longer than it was during the summer. The two of us stood at the end of the line, which was stationed near the exit of the building. I sighed as I looked down the seemingly endless line of both Beacon, Shade, and Haven students. Pyrrha tapped me on the shoulder.

"Why don't we go out into town for lunch? This line looks like it will never end." Pyrrha suggested. I shook my head.

"By the time we get back, we'll be late for class. This line seems to be moving at a steady pace, we should probably get some service within a half an hour." I noted, studying the flow of the traffic to the servery. Pyrrha sighed.

"Alright, I guess we'll stay in line then."

Just as I predicted, we finally approached the serving station half an hour later. We both looked on the menu, but most of the list was blank now. All that remained were a few of the less popular side dishes. My head sunk, just our luck. My stomach growled like a hungry ursa, adding to my disappointment.

"Ruby! Pyrrha! Over here!" A familiar voice called out from behind us. I turned around to see the one teammate I didn't really want to see, hoping she wouldn't walk over to us. Just my luck, Weiss ran up to us at the servery.

"There you are, I was just about to call you Ruby." Weiss said, though I didn't know whether she was lying or not.

"Just hold on Weiss, we have to order something at least, we just got here." I said, slightly coldly towards her as we both looked at what was left.

"That's what I was going to call you for. I managed to snag the last lunch special for you Ruby, it's waiting at the table with the rest of our team." Weiss explained. Wow, I was really in shock now, not only did she buy me lunch, she bought me the LAST lunch on the menu today.

"R-really?" I said with a surprised tone. Weiss nodded her head.

"Well, you two go and eat, I gotta get something here." The redhead insisted.

"Oh, I think Jaune got something for you as well." Weiss remarked, making the girl blush as red as her hair.

"H-he did?"

Weiss nodded. "I think he said you were talking about some restaurant in Vale, he rushed down to the place as soon as the bell rung."

"Well, let's not keep them waiting."

* * *

All three of us sat on either side of the table. Me and Weiss on one side, Pyrrha on the other. The champion smiled as Jaune gave her the wrapped up sandwich.

"There you go, one veal sandwich, lettuce, tomato, no mayo, just like you mentioned," Jaune said, later realizing he was snooping on her conversation about the sandwich place. "N-not that I was listening. J-just heard it from Ren."

"Aww, thanks Jaune." Pyrrha thanked the young eavesdropper, kissing him on the cheek. Weiss pulled a tray full of food from beside her.

"Here you go Ruby." Weiss said contently, sliding the tray to me.

"Thanks Weiss." I thanked the heiress, giving her a halfhearted grin as I dug into the last lunch special. Weiss returned the grin and ate her food as well.

I let out a loud sigh as I pushed the now empty tray of food in front of me. Weiss gave me a surprised look.

"Wow, you ate everything?!" Weiss exclaimed, astounded by my appetite. "And that tray had a ton of food, before it got to you."

"Mhm." I nodded, brushing off the slight insult as I let out a childish burp. Weiss frowned, Blake looked over to see where the noise came from, the rest just laughed. Yang collected the trays of food as we all got up. I looked at my scroll, gasping at the time. Blake gave me a concerned look.

"What? What's wrong Ruby?" The cat Faunus asked. I looked up at her.

"We're late for next class!"

 _To Be Continued..._

 **Hello to all those reading this. I hope you all enjoyed reading this newest fanfiction story. To those of you who are new to my profiles, this is the sequel story to the very first one I made, Titled** RWBY: A Tale of Two Roses **. Just to summarize it, it follows the summer after the first year of Beacon (kinda venturing into season 1.5/2). Ruby suffers from clinical depression and a little bit of anxiety issues. She also has a secret crush on someone, the person she's finally won her friendship over (dear god, if you don't know by now...). The heiress, Weiss Schnee. But the poor scarlet doesn't know how or what Weiss would say if she ever knew of her illness. Experience a new side of Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladona, Yang Xiao-Long, and most of the side-character's in the show that don't really have much of a back story but would still make you cry if they ever died (season 3 reference) as they soak in the sun.**

 **Anyways. I honestly didn't mean to make the first scene of this chapter that gruesome, I had an idea for a depressing scene, but I didn't expect this. In case you didn't know, that first part was in Ruby's dreams. So for all those who are still reading this, I encourage all of you, whether you are new to the story or have read my first fanfiction story, to leave an honest review and comment what you'd like to see in the future of this story (Team RWBY's adventures, small segments for Blake, Yang, Velvet, Pyrrha, I think you get the idea), constructive criticism, etc. So I hope to read the comments you people suggest, and Stay Tuned for the next segment folks!**


	2. Cold Shoulder

**Hey! Welcome back to some more TWR. Sorry for the long ass wait, I've had driver's ed, my math teacher keeps throwing stupid shit for us to work on, and I've been kinda thinking of idea's for this chapter. So yeah. Anyways.**

 **I NEED TO CLARIFY THIS! Because a lot of you have gotten the wrong idea from the last chapter.**

 **A) Ruby is stable enough in her depression, she has good days, she has bad days. I thought about doing this for awhile, so I needed to tell you, Weiss still helps Ruby (as explained in the last chapter) with her depression and talks with her and stuff.**

 **B) (I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH) WEISS IS NOT HOMOPHOBIC! You got this outta context. I even LOOKED up homophobia. It states: _The unreasoning fear of, or antipathy towards homosexuals and homosexuality_. I cannot make this clear enough (dear god), WEISS CAN'T BE HOMOPHOBIC IF SHE'S A HOMOSEXUAL! (like WTF?! I can't believe I have to say this). Weiss is AFRAID of the criticism of homophobic people. You know, someone like Cardin or something. Afraid: _Feeling fear; filled with apprehension_. (yeah, I'm just being an asshole now). C) Lastly, and I also cannot stress this enough. Weiss didn't BREAK UP with Ruby, not technically. Like seriously, why would I title this fanfic with the shipping name in it if I was gonna just break them up? They sorta paused their relationship. They're separating for a little bit. They didn't break up.**

 **Just needed to explain this, cuz a lot of you are tuning out bc it doesn't make sense. So if you tried once more and in an attempt you read this (you probably won't but still). I hope this clears some assumptions up now. So anyway, if you are still reading this, I also want to thank those from my previous fanfiction who've found this story. I'm sorry, I was gonna put the name of the story in the update in my first story, but I forgot. I stumbled on it and hopefully it fixed. So anyways, enjoy.**

 _I_ slashed with a ferocious might across my ivory opponent. Weiss blocked the attack using her rapier, but the momentum from my blow sent her sliding backwards. She huffed loudly as she regained her stance and soon her stamina too. We stood on either side of the arena, breathing somewhat heavily from the fatigue we both caused each other. I wasn't giving her much room for error in this match, letting her only catch her breath as I did myself. I unloaded the clip in Crescent Rose, just as I reached for another clip Weiss readied Myrtenaster and zoomed towards me. I rolled out of the way and with Crescent Rose in it's gun form I blocked her rebound attack, pinning us both in a locked position. We both struggled to overpower each other, shaking and grunting in our interlocked position.

"You're not, gonna win, this one! Your gun is, empty." Weiss grunted as we pushed for dominance. I grinned slyly, giving the heiress a changed look of confusion. "What!"

"I counted how many I shot," My grin turned to an evil smile. "Ever heard of one in the chamber?"

I pulled the trigger, tipping the scale as the gun shot it's last bullet in the chamber and knocking Weiss to the side. While still spinning, I transformed Crescent Rose back into it's scythe form. With the momentum gained, I spun the blade multiple times counterclockwise, sending the white haired opponent flying in the air across the battlefield. Weiss landed with a hard thud on the ground. She did 4 or 5 barrel-rolls before finally sliding to a stop.

I looked at the scoreboard on the wall, Weiss' aura was depleted, the board then showed a winner icon, enlarging my scorecard and aura meter. My aura was at halfway with a yellow-ish orange bar on it.

"Weiss' aura has depleted to the minimum limit. The winner of this match is Ruby Rose." Glynda Goodwitch announced. The lights turned back on as she walked up to the middle of the arena. Weiss attempted to get up, but soon collapsed back on the floor. Feeling sympathetic, I ran up to her, sheathing my weapon as I neared Weiss. I kneeled down just as the ivory haired girl attempted to stand once more. Weiss' attempt failed as her right arm buckled and she started to fall straight. I caught the girl halfway, cradling her in my arms.

"I gotcha." I said to Weiss as I wrapped her arm around my shoulder, picking her up slowly. Weiss grabbed my arm with her opposite hand, clutching on me for full support.

"Can you walk?" I asked Weiss. She shook her head, about to collapse. I caught the heiress once again and swept her legs up. Weiss wrapped her arms around my collarbone as I carried her to the bench at the entrance/exit of the arena. I lowered the girl down onto the bench and sat next to her, making sure to support her in case she fell over. The white haired girl eventually passed out in my arms as the staff paramedics finally arrived. They put Weiss in a carrying stretcher as the two paramedics and the other two helping medics carried her out of the arena. I followed them out the door and watched as they carried her down to the nurse's office, which wasn't too far from the arena. The students from the stands all walked in their different directions, making me realize I didn't even hear the bell ring. I felt a hand touch my shoulder. I turned around to see my sister Yang and her accompanied girlfriend Blake.

"That was awesome sis!" Yang exclaimed, shooting her hands in the air for appraisal. "Awesome!"

"It was just a sparring match," I returned. "It's not like I saved a bunch of Faunus orphans from a burning building."

I jumped when I realized my comparison, looking at my raven haired friend. "S-sorry Blake, I didn't mean it like that, no offence."

"None taken," Blake said calmly. "But wasn't that a little.. what's the word I'm looking for?"

"Awesome?" Yang repeated.

"Brutal," Blake said, snapping her finger after her discovery. "It was brutal."

"W-what do you mean?" I asked her. "Weiss is fine, she just passed out from exhaustion."

"She'll recover from this match, that's not what I meant. The way you fought was relentless, showing her no mercy other than to regain each other's breath. Then to put your fullest effort into this match, even though she's your girlfriend?" Blake explained.

"Well isn't that what you usually have to do in a sparring match? You have to try in order to win. Besides, it just proves who's dominant in bed too, am I right?" Yang added. Me and Blake both shot Yang a dirty look, making the blonde frown. Blake returned to the argument.

"Well, from the way you fought, it looked like you were venting your anger or something out on Weiss. The way you fought with her, it felt more like 'to the death'."

"Well, it's kinda hard for it not to look like that. We're huntresses after all, we wield big weapons that also double as guns. It's not like we were using plank wooden swords," I responded, walking past them. Blake sighed. "Now come on, let's go see how the ice queen's doing!"

All three of us entered the nurse's office, walking up to the front desk. I asked the secretary about Weiss' location, she pointed to one of the enclosed beds at the end of the office. I opened the curtains at the end of the hall to see Weiss sitting on the hospital bed. She looked up to see us all and smiled.

"Hey guys." Weiss greeted, getting up from her bed. We all waved to her in greeting.

"How are you feeling?" Blake asked.

"I'm alright. They said no major injuries, I'm free to go," Weiss answered as she grabbed Myrtenaster, which was leaning against the corner of her bed. The white haired girl spun it in the air a couple times, stopping it in a reverse grip and sheathing it on her belt. She gripped the handle with both hands like a soldier. "Let's get going!"

 __Line Break__

I hardly noticed school was ended and it was the afternoon. The orange sky emitting it's utmost beauty on the finest hour as we walked to the dorms. I opened the door and guided the team behind me into the room. We all took off our school uniforms, the scratchy sweaters and laced skirts annoyed me, the texture of it on me just didn't suit my personality. I had hoped that Professor Ozpin would get rid of the abominations of clothing if I sent him a recommendation. But I discarded the note when Weiss told me she liked the uniforms. She said: 'it brings a special sort of formality to those who enter the academy, like we're special service in a way'. Whatever that means. I was immobilized by the white haired girl in that uniform, so I sufficed with it's awfulness, even if it was stupid.

"Ruby, remember you have an appointment today with your therapist." Weiss said, fixing the latch on her bra as she picked up her combat skirt. The ivory haired girl dropped her outfit on the ground, bending over right in front of me to pick it up. I wasn't sure whether that was intentional or not, but all I could say was if I was a guy, I'd have a hard on right about... now.

"Did you hear me?" Weiss asked, turning around with her normal attire in her hands. I snapped out of my dreamlike state as I looked up at her.

"I-I'm sorry, what was that?" I asked. Weiss gave me a funny look. "I said remember you have to go to your therapist today, you have an appointment at 6:30 this afternoon." Weiss repeated. I nodded my head in compliance. Her look changed to a more serious face as she sped to the desks, grabbing a couple of tissues and running back to me.

"Here Ruby, your nose is bleeding." The heiress said, dabbing at my nose and then holding it in place. I took the tissue from her grasp and continued to hold it in place. Her thoughtfulness reminded me of when we were together, doing things as a couple. But she wanted to take a break, remembering that part hurt me a little on the inside. Because I needed her, way more than she needed me.

Weiss noticed my sudden change of mood, she walked up and sat down in front of me on her bed. "Are you okay Ruby? You don't have to go if you don't want, I can call them and ask to reschedule it for another day if you aren't feeling up to it today." The white haired girl asked. I looked back up at her, removing the tissue and shook my head.

"No, it's okay. It's not that. I just... I'm just a little homesick, that's all," I lied, getting up from her bed and putting on my hood attachment to my outfit, completing the piece. I turned back to her and gave her a fake relieved grin. "I got to get going, I wanted to walk down today."

"Okay," Weiss said, jumping out of bed. "Let's get going then!"

"W-wait, what?" I asked, confused at her request.

"Let's go, I'm walking down with you." Weiss repeated. I didn't know what to say. I appreciated her concern and thoughtfulness, but I wanted to be alone. Away from the person that was afraid to be lesbian in public, away from the one who stole a piece of my heart but made sure to keep it alive, away from all the drama.

"You don't have to come with me, I'm just going to the therapist, then maybe down to the café for an ice capp or something." I reassured her. Weiss only gave me a smile.

"That's okay, wherever you wanna go!" The heiress said contently. I was about to shoot another one back, but seeing the determination in her eyes, I couldn't do that to her. I sighed, signalling her to follow me as we both walked out of the dormroom together.

 __Line Break__

"You know, you didn't have to come with me Weiss, you could've stayed back at the dorms and did your homework."

We walked down the cement sidewalks of Vale, watching the cars drive by as we strolled down main street.

"I know I didn't have to, I wanted to. Besides, that homework isn't due for about a week." Weiss shot back.

"Well, why did you come with me then? I have an hour long session at the therapist and I don't even know if the café will still be open by the time I'm finished." I asked with a little frustration to my voice, trying to persuade the heiress to at least tell me the truth. She's been acting strange, I don't know why but it's been a question on my mind for awhile now.

"To walk with you, you dunce! I wanted to accompany you and gossip and stuff," Weiss explained. "You know, friend-to-friend talk."

"Right, friend-to-friend." I mumbled, a pain striking my heart as she said that.

"What was that?" The ivory haired girl picked up. I shook my hands out.

"Nothing. Besides, I have my headphones for this part of the trip." I said, pulling out my red headphones from my sache. Weiss sighed.

"There's just no winning with you sometimes." Weiss proclaimed.

"Nope." I assured coldly, walking into the therapist's building before Weiss could make a comeback. I walked up to the front office, Glenda sat in her office chair, drinking her coffee and clicking on the mouse of her computer. She looked up at me and smiled.

"Hey hun, how ya doin'?" Glenda asked in her southern accent. I gave her a grin

"I'm good Glenda, how about you?" I returned.

"I'm just fine sweetheart. I'll let Lydia know you're here." Glenda said. She picked up the phone just as I left to go sit down. I found Weiss sitting with an empty chair next to her, the place was relatively busy, leaving a couple other seats that I could've easily sat in. But the heiress had a sad looking posture to her that was pretty obvious. Feeling sympathetic, I sat down next to her and gave her most of my attention. Weiss looked up to see me next to her and smiled. Weiss gossiped for about 5-10 minutes before Lydia finally came out of her office, along with one of her patients.

"Ruby?" She announced, looking for me in the crowd as I stood up. Lydia smiled and motioned me into her office. I sat down on her couch as she closed the door behind her. Lydia grabbed a notebook and flipped to a new page, I awaited patiently to start as she got ready.

 __Line Break__

 _...One hour later..._

"Alright Ruby, Time to stop."

Lydia wrote her last sentence in the notebook before closing it, placing the book on her desk and standing up. She gave me a slight smile as I stood up. I wasn't sure if it was a actual smile or just a positive gesture to me, but it made me wonder what she was up to.

"So Ruby, how's it going with your girlfriend?" Lydia asked, striking the answer to my question. I shrugged my shoulders.

"It's kinda complicated, Weiss asked for a... pause in our relationship. She says she's afraid of being criticized as a lesbian, she's afraid of even the thought of criticism against us." I explained, coming up with a plausible term for our relationship. Lydia nodded in understanding.

"I see. And how do you feel? Do you think she's cheating?" Lydia shot back. I shook my head.

"Oh gosh no. I love her. But.." I paused, thinking about it.

"To be honest, I'm scared. I'm scared that she was just using me as a test for her true affection for someone else. Remember those dreams I've been telling you about? The one's where she always breaks it off with me harshly?"

Lydia nodded. "I remember. But I thought they only happened a few times this month?" She asked, opening her notebook again.

"Well, kinda. It's been happening a lot more than I said they were, but nonetheless, it always involved her," I looked down. "Am I becoming unstable again?"

Lydia shook her hands. "Oh, gosh no. It's a normal question that most people in relationships and even marriages wonder sometimes. You are worried your partner is attracted to someone else. It's completely normal."

Lydia walked up to me, placing her hands on my shoulders. "But you should talk with her, tell her what you told me." She said in a hushed tone. Lydia went to the door.

"And what if Weiss admits to it? What if I'm not the one she likes?" I asked, Lydia opened the door.

"I seen her sitting next to you at the waiting room, I highly doubt Weiss dislikes you. But if she admits it, and I don't mean to be rude, but you'll just have to move on. There's nothing you can do if her heart's not set on you." Lydia said as she gave me a hug. Her boobs pressed against my face (and there goes my metaphorical boner right... now) as she rubbed my back. Lydia finally let go as we both walked out into the waiting room. I seen Weiss talking with an older woman, her back turned as I walked up to her. I poked her on the shoulder.

"Weiss, I'm finished." I said. Weiss turned to face me and smiled.

"Hey, I was just talking with Silicaaaa..." The white haired girl slurred, not finishing her name. I looked at her confused.

"Oh, you must be Ruby, Weiss was talking all about you. My name is Silica. It's a pleasure to meet you Ruby." The older lady introduced. I had a cold shiver down my spine when I heard her name, but I guess I was bound to hear it eventually.

"Silica?" Lydia called out. The older woman waved at her.

"Alright, I guess it's my turn. I hope to see you again some time!" Silica said, shaking my hand. I smiled.

"I have a good feeling we will," I said happily. "I'll see you around."

 _...Half an hour later..._

We sat across from each other as we sipped our Iced capp's. Strangely Weiss was awfully quiet, her head was sort of down. I noticed her sudden change of mood and tapped her on the shoulder.

"You okay?" I asked the moping heiress.

"I'm fine, I just..wait, you seem to be very cheery," Weiss said, looking up at me. I gave her a positive grin as she examined me. "I thought that name scarred you for life?"

"You did? Wait a second," I thought about it, coming to a conclusion. "Why would her specific name be of a negative memory of mine? You know something.."

Weiss tensed up, knowing she blown her cover. She shook her hands. "I-I only wanted to get to know you better! To understand..." She spoke in a hushed tone now. "Understand what you've been going through, so that I could help you as best as could. I care about you."

"So why didn't you ask me?" I asked, slightly surprised at her explanation.

"How was I supposed to asked you? Just be like: 'Hey Ruby, I know you suffer from depression and stuff, but I want to help you, so I needed to ask, when was your worst case when you were younger?'"

"My worst case wasn't with Silica. Sure I am scarred by it, but she isn't my most unstable time with my depression."

I lowered my body down to the table, looking Weiss straight in the eyes.

"My worst time was all those years I spent in Signal. When I started I was alone, and I was alone for awhile. Until some of the girls started to hang out with me, girls with the same passion as I do; who liked fairy tales and guns, magic dust tricks and hanging out in the bush just hunting, fighting grimm for fun. But people have a category for EVERYONE in school. Someone somehow found out I was lesbian, and the gossip spread like wildfire. I still have that label on me to this day. Because of it I was once again alone, no one wanted anything to do with me, only a select few actually stayed my friend. There had been days way back when I thought I wouldn't make it to see even close to next year. So I focused on what was more important at the time. My learning, my training, my role," I admitted to her. Weiss sat quietly, waiting for what I would say next. "When I was accepted into Beacon academy, I was afraid someone would find out I was lesbian again. I was afraid to tell you, and Blake, and everyone I've met so far. I was afraid I'd be looked at the same way I was back in Signal. So I kept myself locked away, in this little red hood."

I puffed out my hood as I smirked confidently. It rested back on my shoulders as I continued my story. "I turn to this hood for comfort and safety. But I barely use it for that anymore, because I see other people who aren't ashamed of who they are and what they do. You've seen Velvet and Coco together, Ren and Nora, Jaune and Pyrrha, even Blake and Yang. You know what they all have in common?"

Weiss thought about it. Unsure of the correct answer, she shrugged her arms

"They have each other. Not just their lovers', but everyone else as well. They can count on one another as friends to help them, fight alongside them, be there for each other in need. Because they know friendship shouldn't be compromised by relationship status. If someone can't bear to see one another in love, whatever gender it may be, it's their decision and problem. Not the couple's. I remember a quote somebody told me when I was in Signal. You shouldn't be ashamed of who you are. Those who preach against you don't carve your path, only you do."

I got up and sipped the last of my iced capp. "I was thinking about that since our separation, it's just been on my mind for awhile. I finally figured it all out in therapy today," I tucked my chair in. "Anyway. I gotta go, I wanted to catch up on one of Blake's action romance novels, she let me read one of her books she got and I wanted to read a couple more chapters before doing homework. Anyway, see you back at the dorm's."

I walked to the exit and threw the empty cup out in the recycling. I turned around to Weiss. She had a sort of awestruck look to her, like I just dished her a new one. I waved goodbye and walked out of the food and beverage establishment. Stepping onto the now darkened sidewalks, I flipped up my hood and began to walk back to the academy. I put on my headphones and put on a song from my scroll as I knew it'd be a long walk back to Beacon.

 **And that's the end of chapter 2. If you have any questions or comments about the story please, leave it down in the reviews. Also I'd like to apologize once again for the long ass wait, I've had stuff to do and didn't really have time to even work on it. As well, I'd like to apologize for that sort of rant style explanation, it really threw me off when people commented that it was absolutely fucked up (Weiss was homophobic, her break up, etc). I actually got this separation idea from a different fanfic I read in the past. I'm not ripping off their idea's, I just thought this would be a good fit to the puzzle of Weiss' change in personality and the kinda rushed relationship. I thought I clued this stuff in on that chapter but you guy's didn't see the big picture as I did, which is understandable. So yeah, sorry!**

 **Anyway, if you are still reading this, I wanted to ask for any other fanfiction's. Whether it be your own or some friend of yours or something. BUT, I want other ship's than White Rose and bumblebee. Ladybug, Freezerburn, Checkmate (sorry I don't know much other ones). I also ask that it only be yuri fanfics. Dear god, NO YAOI! I don't like that shit, I will read ANY other ships though. Just to clarify: Yuri fanfiction other than White Rose and Bumblebee. Just want something new for a change. No yaoi. Anyway, as always, I'll be sure to read the reviews, stay tuned!**


	3. Realization

**Heyo, Welcome back to another chapter of RWBY, TWR! So anyway, a quick A/N before I get into some details of the story. I wasn't able to read the reviews for the last chapter until like the next day when I went to school, which A) really pissed me off bc I really wanted to read them earlier and B) because when I went to go report this problem to the fanfic support page, IT BROUGHT ME TO A FUCKING BLANK PAGE! Like seriously, wtf fanfiction!? So anyway, thought I should clear that up, it's now working (I think). Also, I wanted do add, cause I forgot to tell you guys when I asked for other yuri fanfics, just RWBY fanfics and stuff (without white rose or Bumblebee). Sorry, I just haven't really watched a lot of anime. Though I've been meaning to. I've watched some like Sakura Trick (which was alright, I guess), Toradora, Sword Art Online (english dubbed for the 1st, subbed for the 2nd), a little bit of is it a Zombie?, and Clannad (fucking loved it). But I've been meaning to watch more anime and stuff.**

 **So let's get into the story notes. I decided this time to make it into a 3rd person perspective, kinda see if I could pull it off or not. So if you liked it or not please let me know in the reviews. I don't think I'll do 3rd person more often though, just thought I'd give it a shot. Also, it kinda describes what she's drawing in the second paragraph (maybe it's obvious what she's drawing, maybe not), just wanted to tell you it's clarified in the end of this chapter, in case you didn't know. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

Ruby opened the large door's of Beacon's huge library. The place was somewhat busy, a few people studying late, others reading. Ruby walked down the rows of tables and people/faunus. The young redhead finally picked a table to sit at in the middle-left row, digging through her pouches for the homework that was assigned to her. She finally found it in her back pocket and placed the wrinkled page on the table, pulling out a red pen from another pouch. The hooded girl unfolded the paper, smoothing it out on the table and clicking the pen. The homework wasn't too hard, mostly identifying different silhouettes in obscured vision, which Ruby knew quite well. She soon found herself finishing the last question on the paper, exhaling in relief as she slouched down in her chair.

The young girl thought about what she said before she left Weiss. Was she too harsh on the ivory haired 'friend'? Was she too empathetic? Ruby felt both guilty and innocent. sitting up straight again in her chair, she pulled out another piece of paper, this time a regular white page and a pencil. The pencil had small roses on it and was rather bulkier than most regular pencils. It was the redhead's favourite pencil, Ruby felt inspired whenever she wielded the small stick, using it for special occasions and drawing. Ruby flattened the fresh, white paper and twirled her special pencil in her fingertips, stopping it in a proper hold as she pressed lightly on the cheap canvas. Her hand movements swift, yet precise as she began to draw. As the hooded artist finished her outline, she raised her right hand and repositioned her tool. She now started to do slower, focused lines, pressing the pencil down and lightening the pressure on the outlined page as she drew in the finer details.

"Oh, hey Ruby. I didn't expect to see you here," Blake greeted. Ruby looked up to see the faunus girl standing before her. Blake smiled as she extended out her arms. Not wanting to be rude, Ruby raised her arms as they both hugged eachother. Blake released the young Picasso and turned her glance towards her friend's work. "Wow, that's amazing!"

"D-don't look at it!" Ruby exclaimed. The redhead hid her masterpiece under her arms as her dimples reddened. "I-it's not finished..."

"Wow. I gotta admit, that is incredible! How'd you learn to do that?!" Blake asked, bowing at the young artist's work.

"I-I just drew a lot back at Signal. It's not the Mona Lisa, it's just the first thing that was on my mind." Ruby proclaimed, trying to contain her blushing. Blake smirked.

"Aww, that's sweet. Where is Weiss anyway?" The raven haired faunus asked, leaning against the table.

"I left her back at a café in the shopping district in Vale. I told her I was gonna go here and start early on my homework." The hooded girl explained, making the eldest give her a questioned look.

"Isn't that a little cold, just leaving her there by herself like that?" Blake protested. Ruby sighed.

"That's why I'm drawing.." The younger girl admitted.

Ruby returned back to her work. She began to outline the heiress' face, but soon paused as she felt a hand placed gently on her back, making her slightly gasp. Blake rubbed the youngsters' back in a circular manner, moving her hand to the scythe wielder's shoulder.

"I know it's none of my business, but it's always good to talk about stuff that's on your mind. Ruby, did you and Weiss have a fight or something? Because I don't know if Yang's seen, but I've noticed you've been awfully different since school started. I thought it was just a faze and you'd get over it, but it's been two weeks and I haven't seen anything different in your behaviour. I was gonna ask you at lunch, but by the time I remembered we all rushed to our next class," Blake explained. Her grip on the scythe wielder's shoulder became firmer. "Please. I'm really concerned, both as a friend and as your sister's girlfriend."

Blake lowered her body down to look at the girl closer. Ruby locked eyes with Blake, the faunus giving her a comforting complexion.

"Did something happen between you two?" The eldest asked, golden eyes locking down on silver as she awaited her answer. Ruby sighed, breaking the affixed eyes from her questioner as she looked down slightly.

"...Weiss asked me, the first day of school to, 'take a break' in our relationship. She said she was afraid of public criticism towards us, so she decided on a separation for a little bit to help her deal with her problem and see if it was meant to be." Ruby explained. Doing finger gestures on her quote.

The sad little girl's head sunk down to her hands, starting to twiddle her fingers. "Weiss said she'd still help me, but only as a friend. I've been trying to cope with the separation by doing bigger side activities; going to the therapist more often, reading more. But nothing can compensate for the feeling she gave me when I was with her, when I rested on her lap, when I held her hand and kissed her, when I cuddled up to the surprisingly warming embrace she created when we slept together. To be honest it's affected my life a lot. I'm worried Weiss has feelings for someone else, like she used me as a test to get to someone. I just can't shake the feeling. It haunts my dreams and my thoughts," The depressed teen joined her fingers together tightly, closing her eyes. "I don't know what to do."

Ruby's eyes jolted open at the feeling of Blake's hands resting on hers. The black haired teen crouched down, looking at Ruby even deeper than before.

"Ruby, Weiss is not cheating on you. I've walked with her down the halls, into town, at the mall. I've never ever seen her check out other people, whether it be men or women. She focuses most of her attention at the job at hand. And I've seen her looking at a photo of you and her in those onesie's she bought a couple of weeks ago, staring at it like it was a relic to a different time. My best guess is she misses your company as much as you do, if not more." Blake explained.

"Does she roll into a ball every night and cry herself to sleep?" Ruby asked. Blake gave her a pondering look.

"I think so on the inside," Blake said, giving her honest opinion. "Do you really cry yourself to sleep?"

"No, just sometimes." Ruby admitted, her voice quieter as she said the last couple words. Blake gave the young teen a sympathetic look as she hugged her again.

"I'm always here for you if you need help Ruby. Okay?" The faunus stated as she let go of the young scythe wielder, Ruby nodded as she gave the older girl a smile.

"Thank you Blake." Ruby replied as she cocked her head to the side in a happy complexion. Ruby returned to the drawing as she picked up her pen and began drawing outlines of rose petals, though not filling some of them with the same ink. She gave an even mixture of the two styles of petals all around the background of the piece of artwork. Ruby heard the raven haired friend pull the chair out next to her, then book pages flipping as Blake tucked into the table and began reading. The two girls sitting quietly as they occupied themselves with their favourite hobbies.

* * *

Weiss walked into the one place she thought she would never go, the bar. It was a rather quiet night at said bar, only the full time alcoholics and party goers were present as their talking slightly drowned out Johnny Cash playing on the speaker system of the western style pub. Weiss sat down on a bar stool as the bartender walked out of a room close by, turning to see the young heiress. He gave the white haired girl a weird look as he approached her on the other side of the bar.

"Aren't you a little young to be in here girl?" The bartender questioned. His voice deep and strong as he leaned on the table, looking Weiss straight in the eyes.

"I just need to clear my conscience," Weiss replied, pulling out a few lien bills. "I'll give you quite a great tip if you serve me some drink. No questions asked."

"Do you even know how much drinks cost?" The man asked. Weiss separated the bills, showing a hefty amount in her grasp. The bartender sighed. "Just keep a look out if a cop shows, I'm not getting arrested for one measly little girl."

The man stood up straight again, throwing a towel over his shoulder. "What would you like girly?"

"Do you know any good drinks for break-ups?"

"I know a few good ones. But you shouldn't turn to liquor to solve your break-up."

The bartender placed a medium sized cup on the left side of Weiss, and a smaller cup on the other side. "You wanna shot or a cooler?"

"What's the difference?" Weiss asked, making the bartender face palm.

"The smaller one's harder and straight up, the other's a mixed drink," The man explained. He leaned forward, looking at the white haired girl. "So I'll ask again, how bad has this break-up got ya?"

"I'll try a shot, whatever you recommend." Weiss ordered. The man nodded as he took the bigger cup, placing it back on the shelf as he walked over to the rack of drinks. He pulled out a bottle from the rack and returned to the heiress, pouring the shot glass with the golden liquid.

"There ya are, enjoy." The bartender said, placing the bottle down on his side of the bar and leaving to the back of the room.

Weiss picked up the tiny glass, bringing the liquid to her nose. The white haired girl flinched at the smell of the drink. Shaking her head back to reality, she chugged the shot, swallowing quickly as she panted from the putrid tasting drink. Weiss put the shot glass down on the table as she fought to keep the burning feeling in her esophagus down. The heiress heard the door open and looked over to see. It was the one person that she didn't want to see. Weiss turned around and tried to hide herself as the person walked up to the bar.

"Strawberry Sunrise," Yang ordered as the bartender came out of the back room. "With one of those tiny umbrella thingies."

Yang scanned the room as she awaited her drink. Noticing the heiress, she walked up to said girl. "Weiss? I didn't expect to see you here. Especially _here_ ," The Blondie admitted. "What're you doing here anyway? I thought you were with my lil' sis'?"

Weiss flinched when she heard Yang's voice, knowing she had to tread carefully. "R-Ruby kinda left me at the café. She said she wanted to work on her homework alone. I think she's mad at me," Weiss answered. She noticed the drink Yang got as the bartender gave the girl her order. "Can I have what she's having?"

The bartender nodded as he went to the other side of the bar to make the white haired girl her sunrise, leaving the two to speak alone.

"Well, what did you do to make my sister unhappy?" Yang asked, a slight bit of anger to her tone. "Because I know Ruby, and she doesn't get mad at people unless they did something to instigate it. Spill the beans ice queen."

Weiss held out her hands towards Yang, asking for peace. "I-I don't really know! I didn't do anything wrong!"

The bartender came back with another strawberry sunrise. "Here ya go, don't be starting any fights in here Blondie, you still owe me for last time." He exclaimed before he went to the back room. Yang calmed down a bit as she sat down next to the heiress. The two girls taking a sip of their drinks as they exhaled in satisfaction.

"I was talking to an older woman in the therapist's waiting room. Her name was Silica. When Ruby's session was over she tapped me on the shoulder."

Weiss took another sip of her drink. "I NEVER thought it would be a coincidence that the two would meet each other, but they did. But Ruby was surprisingly calm by it, which threw me off and then I told her I knew about what happened. This lead to that. Then Ruby explained that Silica's suicide was not how her illness got worse, it was the fact that she was lesbian and everyone knew back at Signal. She was lonely and it drove her into a deeper depression. After Ruby told me the truth she got up and left, claiming she wanted to work on her homework and catch up on a book Blake lent to her." The ivory haired girl explained. Yang nodded in belief, though somewhat surprised.

"I never knew that she was picked on at Signal, Ruby never told me," Yang proclaimed, sighing as she took a large swig of her drink. "I didn't even know she started being lesbian way back then."

"What do you mean? I thought she told you a long time ago," Weiss questioned. Yang turned to the white haired friend, leaning in to speak more quietly.

"Ruby never told me or any of our parents until she was... I think five or six years ago actually," Yang admitted, pondering on the actual date. "At first we all thought it was just a phase and she'd get over it. But soon we seen her checking out other women, both her age and some older. I even saw her kiss another girl once, once. And after that I knew that hey, we had another thing in common. But she never told her friends or hinted at being gay. And she never really told us about that stuff, she was afraid of being criticized by her own family, even though we all accepted her as a lesbian and I even admitted to her that I was one too. She kept herself locked up when it came to that manner."

Yang took another swig of her drink, finishing it off pretty quickly. "But I noticed something that I never thought I'd ever see. Something that has taken her mind off of even her birth mother. Something that I only saw when you were around her, a new flame of inspiration," Yang placed her hand on the heiress' shoulder. "I haven't seen her this open with her feelings ever, in my entire life. You brought out something in Ruby that has twinkled in her eyes ever since you two met."

Yang got up from her chair, pulling out a few lien bills.

"I keep hearing bits and pieces about Ruby's mother, but I haven't heard the full story. Is she sick or something?" Weiss asked, stopping Yang from paying as she pulled out a few lien.

"You'll find out when Ruby is ready to tell. I made a promise to both my father and my baby sis' that I'd never speak of the matter without Ruby's consent. Sorry ice queen." Yang returned, leaving Weiss with both more questions, and a displeased look at her nickname. Yang put her wallet back in her pocket and did a two finger salute as she began to walk to the door.

"Can I ask you one more question?" Weiss requested. Yang stopped and spun around on her heels.

"What's up?"

"If you were Ruby back then, afraid of the homophobia and the hate towards gays, what would you do?" Weiss asked. Yang pondered on the question, thinking hard before she shrugged her shoulders.

"Honestly, I wouldn't give an Ursa's ass what homophobic people thought, it's their opinion. I would just accept it and move on. I'm the one in charge of my life, not them. They can go screw themselves," Yang said. "Live your life the way you want to, not the way other's do."

And with that, Yang swivelled back around and exited the bar, leaving the young huntress by herself. Weiss spun back around in the bar chair, supporting her cheek with her hand as she took one last gulp of her drink. She placed her glass down closest to the bartender and pulled out her scroll. The rapier wielder tapped her screen a few times, scrolling through it once or twice. She finally tapped one of the icons, opening a picture of her and Ruby in their onesies in the changeroom before Weiss purchased them. A pain striking her chest as she looked deep at the picture in sorrow. Was she a fool for being afraid of what other people thought? Her thoughts clouded her mind when she asked her for the break, but Weiss had the clear picture now. She only thought of herself, and she knew very well that it took two to tango. The thought of Ruby's heart and spirit diminishing finally rebounded on the heiress, clenching her phone tightly in one hand and a fist in the other. Weiss finally loosened her grip as she turned off her scroll.

"I-I'm so, sorry Ruby.." Weiss muttered, a couple tears rolling down her face as she wiped it quickly with her sleeve. "What have I done?"

Full of regret, Weiss sighed as she leaned on the table, closing her eyes. _'Ruby...'_

 _'It's not too late yet Schnee, Ruby's not gone forever. Make up and get back together,'_ A voice in the back of her head demanded. _'_ _But, how do I make up for being a cruel, self-centred bitch?'_

Weiss rubbed her face in guilt.

 _'How could she forgive me?'_

* * *

 _Half an hour of walking later..._

Weiss strolled down the stone walkway of Beacon, head bowed as she listened to the slow clinking of her high heels on the path. She soon looked up to see the tall statue of Beacon. Her gaze was soon disrupted by a vibration in her pocket. Weiss pulled out her scroll to find a new text message.

'Hey, is Ruby with you? I left her in the library a couple of hours ago, she hasn't come back yet.' asked Blake.

'No, I'll walk her back to the dorm's.' replied the heiress. She closed her scroll and walked down the path, past the statue. She opened the doors to the place of knowledge to find the place generally empty, making Ruby easy to find at the middle-left row of the giant place. She ran up to the redhead to find her snoring peacefully in her seat, head resting atop her arms on the desk. Weiss was about to wake the sleeping scythe wielder, but paused as she looked at Ruby.

 _'I can't wake her up, she looks so peaceful.'_ Weiss thought. She stared closely at the young sleeping warrior as she snored blissfully. Her attention soon focused on a piece of paper that was sticking out a little underneath the cookie crusader. Weiss carefully lifted Ruby's arm, pulling the piece of paper out gently from her rested position as she lowered her back down on the table and observed the page.

 _'Oh my god...'_

Weiss' eyes started to well at the artwork before her. It was a well detailed drawing of her and Ruby. The redhead wrapping her arms around the heiress and vice versa, a smile on Ruby's face as she rested underneath Weiss' chin. There was a certain brightness to the drawn heiress. A slightly transparent heart around the two in the background, along with red and white rose petals all around the picture. Underneath the heart was a caption written in beautiful cursive writing.

" _My Little Light, Shining it's Utmost Radiance in My Heart. May it Never Die."_

The caption made Weiss cry. She flipped the page to see if there was anything else on the piece of paper, to find the back full of writing. She flipped the page over, eyes widened at the title and the words on the page.

 _'Reasons Why I Love Weiss:'_

The back was a list full of reasons, filled to the very bottom of the page. And the very first one was slightly smaller than the title, yet larger than the rest.

 _'She gives me another reason to live again.'_

Weiss' crying increased as she slumped down onto the floor of the library, cupping her mouth to suppress her deep sobbing as she continued to read the list. She finally regained self control as she got up, wiping away the many tears in her eyes.

"R-Ruby..." Weiss sobbed quietly, looking at the rose smelling girl. The heiress' heart collapsing at the amount of love Ruby possessed for her. Weiss had broken the poor little girl's heart, and yet her love still shone, strong as ever towards her white haired love.

Weiss smirked, putting her lovers' homework back in her pouch along with her tools as she picked the young girl up bridal style. Ruby snuggled up to Weiss as she rested her head peacefully on her bust. The heiress carried the hooded huntress back to their dorm's. She stopped at her bed, looking at Ruby.

 _'No, it would look weird if I just cuddled up to her.'_ Weiss thought, slightly saddened by her decision. _'Soon though.'_

Weiss brought Ruby's head closer to hers, resting her forehead against the sleeping girl's. She then planted a kiss on her cheek and placed her love in the bed above hers. Weiss quickly got changed and cleaned up. The heiress looked at Ruby, noticing a slight grin on the girl's lips causing the heiress to smirk. She got into her own bed and looked up at the top bunk above her.

" _I love you, Ruby Rose..."_

 **So a quick question before you finish reading this. I wanted to know, because it's kinda been a fair ratio now, do you guys hate the separation thing totally? Cause tbh I have something planned for it, but I don't want to write it if you guys totally hate the idea of them being on a break in their relationship. I actually got the idea after watching How to be Single (I was dragged into watching it). So anyway, leave your opinion in the reviews. And as always, stay tuned!**


	4. Watering a White Rose, Part 1

**Hello to all of you reading this A/N, welcome back to another chapter of TWR! So let's get to the point. Last time I asked you boys and girls your thoughts on the story, I didn't expect a lot of you to hate this kind of plot (especially since a few actually asked for more drama in my first story). But hey, not everything is to someone's liking. So I'd like to thank those who told me they disliked the separation, and I also thank the other people who said they liked this kind of twist. But I need to explain this.**

 **To people like Bill Gopher and shay ashaf, who respectfully said that I should follow my own path on this story. Thank you for your honesty and your opinion on the story matter. But you guys (or girls, whichever gender you are) need to know that I strive to make people who read this not only intrigued, but happy and excited to read more. That's just my motivational drive. People like Anon, and many, many other's who suffer from such a horrible illness as depression find it inspiring and exciting whenever they read this. That makes me want to write more than anything, because they see something that's hard to find due to the treachery of that fucking illness, hope. And that's what I love to see. That's why I ask people to leave reviews and opinions about the story, because they find refuge in the story I've provided and they feel enlightened about it, which is what I hope for in at least one or two people.**

 **Anyway, I hope to anyone still reading this that they enjoy it at least a bit.**

* * *

I awoke to the sound of the curtain flapping in the cool night's breeze. It was relatively dark around me, making me wonder if they closed the library and didn't notice me sleeping. Though not alarmed by it enough for me to react worriedly. I felt the soft silk texture of my comforter in my hands, coming to a conclusion that I was in bed.

I rubbed my eyes a bit, knocking a bit of the crust out of them as I looked around the room. I noticed I was still in my clothes from the previous day, swinging to the left, jumping off of my bed and landing softly on the carpeted area that lied between the two bunks. I watched the bumblebee couple in front of me. Yang giggled softly, her body wrapped around her faunus lover as she stroked her cat ears, deep in sleep.

"..Hehe.. they're sooo.. soooft..." Yang whispered as she pet Blake's cat ears. Her bow clearly taken off by the sleeping brute as she softly scratched her head, making the brunette purr.

"Yang... quit it.. my ears are sensitive..." Blake protested in her sleep. Yang smirked as she slowly coursed her hand down to Blake's hip.

"Alright then... I guess I'll go for the... Bellabooty...!" Yang exclaimed in her dream. She softly grabbed Blake's butt, coursing her hand around the curves of the cat's buttox as she squeezed it. Blake grabbed her hand and brought it back to her shoulder's.

"Hey... hands to.. yourself.." The brunette slurred.

I watched as Yang licked the faunus' cat ear, wondering what she would do next. "mmm... tastes like... fiiiissshhh..." Yang said, her last words a little deeper, and a lot more creepier as she opened her mouth, clamping down on her ears and starting to suck on them. Not wanting to see what was next, I face palmed, going over to get my pyjamas out of a dresser and entering the bathroom. After changing my attire and washing my face, I looked at my complexion in the mirror. I moved on to brushing my hair, before putting my sleeping mask on my head.

I exited the bathroom and shut off the lights, turning around to see Yang still nibbling on the cat girl's black ears. I giggled at the sight of the two before walking to my side of the bedroom, noticing Weiss tossing and turning in her sleep. I wasn't sure whether or not to do something. My love wasn't sleeping well, sure. But my guilt from the afternoon yesterday still lingered thick in my mind. I watched the ice queen's fidgeting for about 5 more minutes before I finally snapped.

"I can't just leave her like that. I guess I got to make up for my behaviour somehow." I finally concluded. I waited for the white haired girl to roll to her right side before finally getting into bed with her. I laid my hand softly on the heiress' shoulder, making the girl react slightly. I could hear Weiss' breathing calm a bit as her fidgeting slowed down too. I finally moved my arm past the older girl's shoulder, pulling my body closer to my lover's before wrapping my legs around the girl. Weiss was cold, bone-chilling even. I pulled the blanket over us both before resting my arm around Weiss once more. This time Weiss moved closer to me as she spooned me.

"mmm... Ruby.." Weiss mumbled, taking in a whiff of my scent as she placed her hands on my free arm. Even her touch was cold, I could see why she was so uneasy.

"Ssshhh... it's okay Weiss.." I said softly in her ear. "I gotcha."

"Ruby... I'm so sorry..." Weiss returned. "I'm sorry... I broke up with you..."

Weiss started to cry, in her sleep. I could feel her warm tears touch my arm. I moved my head closer to hers, coursing my other hand in her hair.

"Hey, don't cry. It's not your fault," I said, comforting her. "If anything, it's my fault. I shouldn't have rushed you."

"No... I'm a self-centred ass... I should've thought about how you felt..." Weiss exclaimed in her sleep. I followed up by more consoling as I calmed her down. Weiss soon stopped crying, though clinging to my free arm still.

"I'm.. so.. sorry..." Weiss apologized. "I love you, Ruby..."

"I love you too Weiss." I replied. After a few more minutes of silence I could hear the burdened girl quietly sleeping soundly in my embrace. I soon too felt drowsy as I fell asleep next to my love, hoping that in the morning my white haired lover would be with me once again. I fell asleep dreaming about the hero's I read in the novels at the library. Weiss was my queen, and I her Princess Charming(?).

" _...I love you too..."_

* * *

I guess I should say I was expecting Weiss to wake up in my embrace and us get back together soon thereafter. Instead I was jolted awake by Weiss' ear piercing high note, screaming as she found herself under me. Thank god the bumblebee couple wasn't in the room. I jumped (of course), smacking my forehead hard on my top bunk before landing on the silk blankets, which slid under my lightweight body. I crashed with a loud, ground vibrating _thud_ on the floor, taking in the half shock, half pain, most utter uncertainty of the heiress. I heard Weiss get up and run out the door to our dorm's, leaving me alone in pain and agony.

"What. The actual. Fuck..." I whimpered as I laid on the floor in shock and pain. I soon came terms that I'd have to get up someday, so I did slowly. I finally got onto my own two feet as I rubbed my forehead, flinching at the somewhat immense pain of the morning's bruise (I guess you could say... love hurts *puts on shades*. U_U Yeah that was a Weiss bad pun).

* * *

 _Weiss' POV_

I panted heavily on the other side of my team's dorm, piecing together the scene I just witnessed. Ruby had her arm wrapped around me, I didn't even remember her coming into my bed. As I finally caught my breath I realized my overreaction.

 _'What the fuck Weiss?! Why the hell did you jump out of your lover's embrace?!'_ A voice in my head asked me, agitated by my quick thinking. I smacked my forehead in stupidity, punishing myself for my rash acting.

"What. The actual. Fuck..." I heard Ruby say on the other side of the door. I could still hear her somewhat groggy, little bit hurt, mostly unhappy tone in her voice. I walked through the halls of the dormitory and down the stairs. With my combat skirt I had grabbed quickly before I left, I changed in the washrooms before I walked out the front entrance. My whole trip to Vale was mostly contemplating my actions. My reaction part in the airship to Vale, my explanation while I was walking around the town, and lastly my arising problem as I sipped my tea in a café.

"... And then I ran out of the dorm," I finished my story to Blake, who I happened to notice in the establishment as I entered a few minutes before. I had explained the whole morning conflict from point to point. Blake nodded as she listened to my rather exciting moment. "I feel terrible. Ruby must've missed me or something, and all I did was give her the rudest awakening call ever." I finished.

I laid my head down on the table in shame as I let out a large sigh. "For once I'm the dolt..."

"Hey, don't beat yourself up, you just didn't know how to respond," Blake supported. "It's not like it was a hard hit to the head."

I rose from the table. "I felt the impact of her near concussion through my bed, her bed dangles in the air Blake." I continued, emphasizing 'air'. Blake gave me a squinting 'ooh' face, as if feeling Ruby's morning bump.

"Ouch. Okay, I stand corrected," Blake admitted, pondering my next moves. I pressed my hand to my face, trying to relieve the relationship stress as I pulled my face in agony. Finally, Blake snapped her fingers. "I got an idea, why don't we go get an apology gift for Ruby?"

"I don't know Blake. I just... Promise me you won't tell Yang what I am willing to say?"

"Your secret is safe with me," Blake promised, giving me a nod. "What is it?"

"I-I, don't really know why I did this to be honest, I'm finding I was being ridiculous about my actions more and more. You see, I kinda asked Ruby for a... break, in our relationship. Just to see if we were meant to be and because I was afraid of public criticism-"

"Stop," Blake interrupted, holding her hand out to pause my confession. "Ruby already told me. You two are having a temporary separation, if I recall the young huntress' words."

I looked at the faunus girl wide eyed. "Y-you already know of our separation?!"

I cupped my mouth at my rather loud outburst. Blake nodded. "Yeah, Ruby told me yesterday."

Her last word in the sentence reminded me of the picture the redheaded girl drew, and the list that came on the backside. I looked down at the grain of the table, reminding me also of our little escapade in the summer when it snowed. My feelings for the rose smelling warrior/lover welled in my eyes a bit. I snapped back to reality as I wiped the small form of tear in my eye and looked back at Blake.

"What else did she say? Anything about me?" I asked, hoping the girl would spill the beans. Blake pondered before coming to a conclusion.

"I don't know, it's hard to say.."

I knew what the faunus was doing. She looked at me slyly.

"Tell me what you know and I'll buy you all-you-can-eat sushi and fish for lunch today." I bargained, Blake scruffed her chin, smugly thinking about the deal.

"I don't know, she did say not to tell anyone, I've already said too much knowing your status.."

I groaned. "And then later, I can buy you a book, whatever one your little kitty heart desires.." I answered, returning the smug grin as I spoke of her faunus relativity in a normal voice, earning a jump from the faunus girl.

"Two books." She bargained. I shook my head.

"One book, I've already said I'd pay for lunch," I shot back. The brunette made a thinking face as she thought of it. "AND I won't blurt out your secret out in public anymore."

Blake gave me a concerned look. I spoke in a more demanding voice. "So what's it gonna be, kit-"

"Fine fine! J-just hold your tongue!" Blake pleaded, sitting back down in her seat as she took a sip of her tea. "I'll talk."

Blake told me the whole day yesterday regarding the conversation with Ruby. I listened attentively as she spilled the beans.

"...Ruby said she wanted to give her artwork a little more emotion, though the picture was enough to melt my heart. She said she wanted it to show meaning, not just through the piece, but to the mind process that went behind it. Ruby said she wanted something to tell you that she really missed you and wanted you to know she still loved you dearly. So I suggested making a list on the back involving you. When I went to go leave about half an hour later she showed me a list with the title-"

"Reason's why I love Weiss," I interrupted, nodding in belief. "I seen the picture yesterday when I went to go get Ruby from the library."

"So you seen the picture and all that? What did you think?"

"It warmed my heart, made me weak in the knees and cry like a little girl," I admitted. "The words she put on the list made my heart melt with both sorrow and joy."

Blake smirked at my honest opinion. "Awww..." She cooed.

My cheeks emitted a strong warmness as they turned red. I sighed as I rested my hand on my chin. "So what do you think I should do? You understand the situation better than even I do, so did I fuck up too much? Is this relationship even salvageable?" I asked the brunette. She pondered on it deeply, losing her vision in reality as she stood in her trance. Knowing it would take a moment or two, I got up and went to the bathroom, coming back a few minutes later to find the cat faunus still thinking. I sat back down and took a sip from my tea.

"You done fucked up."

I chocked on the mouthful of tea that I had in my mouth, coughing harshly as I tried to clear my throat.

" _Cough cough,_ well great, that makes me feel better, _Cough,_ " I said sarcastically, finally able to clear my air hole from the liquid.

"But." Blake added, intriguing me for the rest of the info.

"But?" I asked.

"The way I see it, you both miss each other a lot. You want to redeem yourself for your stupid reaction from this morning, atop of you admitting this separation was a terrible idea. Ruby wants to know you still love her and wants to be with you again. I'm not the love guru, but I'd say you two are too blind to see that you need each other more than ever. So take the leap of faith Weiss. Ask her out, take her somewhere nice and in the end make up," Blake sighed. "Geez, I can't believe I have to spell this out for ya."

"Well, I screwed up really bad this morning, what should I get her for a forgive-me/make up gift?"

"Just get her something she's always wanted and then some. You get where I'm going with this?"

I nodded in understanding, resting my arm on the table as I scratched my chin. I thought about what the cookie crusader always wanted. All of a sudden a thought came into mind as I snapped my fingers and I jumped up from my seat.

"That's it! I know what to get her!" I said in glee as I threw a couple lien on the table and took the brunette's arm. "Let's go!"

* * *

 _Meanwhile..._

I went to my designated locker down at Beacon's armoury, typing in the code and retrieving my weapon. I went over to a weapon-work station posted in one of the small shop-like rooms, finding a free workbench, which wasn't hard due to it being early in the morning on a P.D. Day. I plopped my rectangular shaped weapon on the bench and walked over to the tools section. In no time I had my arms full of tools and other useful items, dropping them all in a pile beside me as I picked up my baby. I transformed the square metal box into it's gun form first, re-placing the HCSS into two mounted vice grips on either side of the gun. I cranked the two vice's until the weapon was snug and unable to move. Once satisfied, I grabbed a couple of tools and began disassembling Crescent Rose's gun mechanism.

After all the pieces were finally in a neatly placed order in front of me, I grabbed the gun cleaning kit from the pile beside me, assembling the brush kit as I lubed the bristles with the cleaning agent. I put the brush into the muzzle of the gun, pushing the somewhat long stick through the barrel. The task proved to be a little bit struggling.

"Geez, I need to clean this more often." I murmured to myself as I continued to clean the barrel. I finally pushed the brush up to the chamber, wiping the small sweat on my brow as I made it through the barrel somewhat easily. I continued to clean the barrel and chamber for a few more minutes before finally blasting the gun's pipe with pressurized air, blowing away the excess solution in the gun and drying it quicker. I went on to clean the bolt action and load a few empty magazine's with dust bullets, keeping just one on the desk for spare as I loaded the now full mag's in my pouches.

"Good thing I got more ammo, was almost out," I said to myself as I put the bolt action back on my gun and picked up the lone bullet. "And we wouldn't want that, now would we babeee?"

I cocked the bolt action back on my HCSS and loaded in the one bullet, taking the loaded weapon into a room labelled 'Shooting Range'. I moved the target all the way to the back of the target range, which was quite far. I snickered, holding the gun with one arm, in a sideways position as I free-aimed at the target. I pulled the trigger and the bullet shot out, hearing the bullet go through the paper target. I sheathed my gun and pressed the button on the conveyor belt as I waited impatiently for my target. Finally the target arrived at my destination, with a big hole in the heart region of the grimm paper target.

Satisfied with my efforts, I placed Crescent Rose on the bench and reattached the blade part. I then took the full version of the weapon to another station and picked up a sharpening stone, unsheathing my weapon and placing it on my lap. As I sharpened the silver blades on my one true love, I began to think about my morning. I forgotten what happened when I awoke, remembering only little pieces of it as my day continued. I remembered being in bed, when all of a sudden, a loud scream came from in front of me. I jolted up in shock and the next thing I remember was hitting my head off of something, hard, and gravity pulling me back down onto the floor of our dorms.

 _'But what else was there?'_ I asked in my conscience as I searched my thoughts for other details, not being able to remember after landing on the floor. _'Wait a minute..'_

Then I remembered something important.

I was in Weiss' bed.

The event came back to me as I realized what had happened. My thoughts becoming more and more clearer as I continued to sharpen the blade. Unconsciously working on my task at hand, I accidentally grazed my index finger on the silver blade.

"Ah! Son of a-" I cursed myself as I looked at my wound. Blood started to course through my fingertip as it made a snail trail of red down my finger. I placed Crescent Rose on the workbench, grabbed a clean cloth and went to the next station beside me. But I soon realized that the station wasn't what I wanted. The place used to be a first aid station for minor wounds and other small injuries, but I instead walked into some empty room as I looked around.

"Oh for god sake!" I cried out frustratedly as I ran out. I looked down at my affected hand, soon noticing it wasn't just my index finger that I grazed. I had cut my whole hand on the blade plates of Crescent Rose. Blood was forming more and more in my hands now, making me jump to conclusion that I had to find the medical centre fast. I looked down the large array of stations the building housed, looking for anything with a health symbol. Finally, I caught a small plus sign at the far corner.

"I need to go, fast." I said to myself as I crouched down into a runner's position. I bolted off and, with my semblance, arrived at the centre in no time.

 _Half an hour later..._

I walked out of the medical centre, with my hand wrapped up like a FedEx package. I sighed as I looked at the white bandaged hand. Several stitches, some mild dosed pain killer's, and the longest half an hour I could've imagined. I turned to my right to see Yang standing before me, tears in her eyes as she held my weapon in her clutch.

"W-what happened?"

 **And now a cliffhanger. Sorry boys and girls. Anyway, I hope you at least liked it a bit. I didn't have a lot of idea's when I came up with this chapter, other than the bed scene with Yang (fiiiissshh...** ) **and the morning scene after. So yeah, I apologize if this isn't really the chapter you were hoping for. As always leave a review, and stay tuned.**

 **Also, I'd like to thank that anonymous fan that suggested the title's in my first story, I used one of them for this chapter title. If you're reading this, thanks bud I really appreciate it.**


	5. A Rose's Promise

**Yo. So Sorry for the long wait, I was running a little dry, so I decided to read some of other people's fanfic's (not to steal their work or anything, though). After some time I came up with some idea's. Though not totally impressed by this chapter, I hope it suffices as it sets up for some more White Rose (and there ain't no better shit than White Rose shit). So I want to ask, now that it's coming up, where would you like to see Ruby and Weiss go out? Leave it in the comments and I shall do a shout out to the person responsible for the idea I will use. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!**

 **Also, leave me some recommendations on RWBY fanfics, whatever, Ladybug, White Rose, Enabler, Baked Alaska, whatever. Seriously, I'm getting bored no one's updating the fic's I faved.**

"W-what happened?"

"Yang, why are y-"

Yang dropped her younger sister's weapon and wrapped her arms around the girl, giving Ruby a firm, yet gentle hug. Ruby was left dumbfounded, unresponsive for what felt like the longest minute ever.

"Y-you alright Yang? Nobody slipped anything in your morning coffee this morning did they?" Ruby asked her older sister. Yang shook her head.

"Y-your hand..."

"What? Oh, it was just-"

The crimsonette was silenced once again by Yang placing a finger on her lips. She lowered her hand after the youngest had given up on talking, raising the bandaged hand up. "I-I went to check up on you, Pyrrha told me you came here. Knowing you were probably working on your weapon, I went in the work station and seen your weapon on the bench, and some blood on it.."

Yang started crying, wiping her tears away from her eyes to see her sis. "I told you not to hurt yourself anymore!" She shouted. Half anger, half care. She wrapped her sister in another bear hug. "goddammit Ruby!"

Not wanting to insult her weeping sister, Ruby rubbed the blonde's back, retaliating the firm grip she had on her. "Yang, you got this outta context. I was sharpening my blade when I accidentally slipped," Ruby assured her, "aaand cut my whole hand in the process."

The babbling brute of a sister stopped crying, rising from the youngers' shoulder's. "W-what?" She asked.

"I wasn't paying attention and the blade plates on my baby sliced into my hand. I knew if I didn't patch it up soon I could bleed out quickly, so I left her on the bench as I went to the medical centre." Ruby explained to a now calmer Yang. The blonde brute stood there, listening quietly.

"S-so, y-you didn't cut yourself intentionally?" Yang stammered, her sobs still clear in her voice. The little red nodded.

"Nope. Though I must admit, I feel stupid for letting myself get hurt so easily." Ruby said with truthful honesty, blushing a bit in embarrassment. Yang was shocked, her hands and breath still a little shaky from her analogy. Finally, she broke the silence.

"I-I... don't know, what to say." She stated. The hooded rose smirked a bit as Yang tried to piece together a sentence. Not wanting to drag the long ass silence forever. Ruby walked up to her older sister and jumped at her, wrapping her arms around the tall brute as she dangled about a few inches in the air. Ruby turned her head and gave Yang a big kiss on the cheek, later resting her head on the blonde's shoulder soon thereafter.

"It's alright Yang. I'm kinda glad you were so concerned for me, I honestly didn't think you'd be this upset."

"Of course I would be! I'm your sister for crying out loud. You are my Ruby, Ruby. You are precious to me. I wouldn't let any guy, or girl hurt you," Yang spoke, cracking a joke at the younger girl's name. "I thought you forgot your promise to me."

"What promise?" The confused warrior asked her, not able to remember the pact she had made with the brute. Ruby jumped off her sister and stood in front. "Actually, come on. You can tell me back at the weapon repair station."

Ruby sat back down at the sharpening area of the room, scraping the edge of the blade with the stone once again. She noticed Yang's stressed look as the redhead worked.

"So what was that promise you mentioned earlier? I have bad memory of the little things," The youngest sister asked the eldest, though realizing her wording sounded like it was discerning. "N-not that it was small to me, I just don't remember it."

Yang looked at the hooded girl puzzled, oblivious to her sister's words. "You seriously don't remember?"

Ruby shook her head as she returned back to her task. Yang explained to the rosy warrior briefly about her promise to the brute, causing Ruby to search her thoughts for information just received.

"So you're telling me that you and I made this promise that same day you found my scars, when I sat in the hospital bed?" Ruby asked, unable to remember the pact. Yang nodded her head. "And you expected me to remember then? I was high on Oxycontin when you and I made this promise, and I take medication that makes me forget things sometimes. How are you shocked that I don't remember?!"

"Well, I thought you wrote it down or something!" Yang exclaimed. She sighed, slumping down in her chair. The blonde brute quickly sat back up, scanning the area for other life-form's before leaning in closer to the young weapon's expert.

"How are your arms anyway?" Yang asked in a whispered tone.

"W-what?" Ruby asked idiotically, she knew what her blonde brute of a sister was talking about.

"You know what I asked. How are your scars?" Yang asked, this time in a more blunt and raised tone. Ruby looked around the room.

"Yang, it's not really something I'm comfortable showing in a public place." The younger girl whisper-yelled, slightly murmuring her speech.

"Ruby, just show me, nobody's around." Yang proclaimed. The blonde moved her seat so that outsider's didn't notice the young huntress. Once the vision of outside was blocked by the big brute's... body (Hehe, top heavy), Ruby did a double-check, looking around the room before sighing.

"Fine." The scythe wielder finally gave in. She rolled up her sleeves and showed the older sister her wrists. Nothing more remained other than white lines that faded on her arms. Yang smiled.

"Wow, they look great! The brawler exclaimed, coursing her hand on the healed wrists. Yang was about to say something, but was interrupted by a buzzing and ringing sound in her pocket. The blondie pulled out her scroll and answered it.

"Hello? Oh, hey kitty cat!" Yang greeted once finding out her caller. "What's up."

Yang nodded as Blake spoke on the other end of the call, giving low noises as she acknowledged her.

"What!? No way?!" Yang exclaimed finally. Her eyes lit up and a smile formed on the girl's face. "Oh my god!? But we'll miss school will we not? Alright. That's amazing! Alright, I'll let you go kitty. Okay, bye!"

Yang moved her scroll in front of her face and clicked the red button on it, closing and putting the device in her pocket.

"Ruby, you won't believe what happened. Blake entered a contest early this summer, she got a call half an hour ago saying she won!" Yang explained in glee. Her rack jiggling as she shook in excitement. "eeee! I'm going on a cruise!"

* * *

 _A_ few minutes after Yang had left to go pack. Ruby finished sharpening her scythe, pulling out a small hair from her head. ' _If I did that to Yang, she'd probably bury me alive.'_ Ruby thought to herself, bringing the lone hair to her blade. She let go of the string, letting it fall onto her weapon. It was about to land on the blade. Instead the thin fabric from the young girl's head split in half, landing on two separate sides of the blade.

"Yes! It's perfect!" Ruby exclaimed in awe, placing the HCSS back on the table. She reinstalled the last component's on her rifle, looking through the scope to see it was cracked. "Aw, come on!" Ruby shouted disappointingly.

The redhead sighed, knowing she had to get a new one. "Well, fuck." Ruby murmured as she left the station to deal with the dilemma that arose. The redhead stopped at the dorm's to pick up her purse and change into more public wear and then proceeded to the air dock's, getting on the one for Vale.

Almost 45 minutes later, she arrived at her favourite weapon shop; _Silv'r Edge_. As Ruby walked into the store a tiny bell-like sensor went off. The man at the counter smiled as he noticed the young huntress enter the shop.

"Ruby! Good to see ya again!" The employee greeted with a content grin. "How's my favourite scythe wielder?"

"I'm good Lex! Have one slight problem though." Ruby answered, pulling out her scope from her pouch.

Lex picked up the scope and examined it, looking through the sight. "Oh, I see the problem now. Just hold on a second."

The tall man walked around the counter and went into one of the scope aisles. The hooded warrior waited patiently as the young adult searched for another scope. Ruby suddenly felt the hairs on her neck stand straight, a cold chill ran down her spine as she sensed a pair of eyes watching her. She turned around quickly, hoping to catch the stalker by surprise. Instead Ruby stood alone in the gun store, the sound of somewhat-quiet music playing in the background. Ruby let out a sigh.

"Just another one of my moments of paranoia," The redhead concluded aloud, realizing no one was here but herself. A moment later, Lex returned with a box in his hand.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, couldn't find the one I was looking for," Lexington apologized, "here you are."

Ruby looked at the box, reading it carefully. "This isn't the same attachment as my previous scope," Ruby stated, showing the box to Lex. "Mine was a 3.5 x 35 sight, this i 32 sight."

"I know I know, but there's a sale on it today, I thought you'd like a little upgrade. But if you don't like it I'll go get you a new one." Lex explained. Ruby hook her head.

"No, it's alright. As long as it's on sale." The warrior concluded, placing the box on the counter. The employee scanned the barcode on the box and typed a few things on his computer.

"Alright, that'll be 1,500 Lien," Lexington read aloud the price, making the hooded girl's jaw drop to the floor.

"What?! I thought you said it was on sale?!" Ruby proclaimed, shocked by the amount of the one attachment.

"It is! The original price is like, 2,000 to 3,000 Lien!" Lex returned. The young girl's head dropped.

"Awww... I can't afford that.." Ruby sulked as she looked in her wallet.

"Well, sorry Ruby. I can replace your regular scope if you'd like."

"No, it's alright. I guess I'll just have to wait until I earn enough money," Ruby grinned in acceptance. "Thanks anyway Lex."

"No problem." Lex returned the smile.

Ruby waved goodbye to Lex as she exited the shop, the chiming of the bell rung as she stepped back into Vale.

 _About 10 minute's earlier..._

Weiss patrolled the aisles of the gun store, looking at the different weapon mods and equipment. The white haired girl couldn't come to terms with the perfect gift for Ruby.

 _'Fucking Blake,'_ Weiss thought. _'Just leave me to go get ready for a trip. I didn't even know the school had trips like that in their pocket. I swear, never trust a faunus.'_

Weiss smacked her forehead for her discriminating sentence, even if it was played out in her head. The heiress was losing her temper, wishing she could just tap into the little cookie crusader's head. "Could someone just give me a sign?!"

Suddenly, the bell on the door sounded as a person walked in. Weiss noticed a rose petal flying briskly towards her. The petal landed on her nose as the white clad girl picked it up with her fingers, realizing who it was.

"Ruby!" The store clerk blurted out. Weiss peeked around the corner to see Ruby standing at the counter, talking to the employee about something. The redhead dug her hand in her pouch and retrieved a scope from it, handing it to the clerk. A moment more of conversation, then the employee walked around the counter and into the aisles.

 _'I can't hear what they're saying from here.'_ Weiss thought, exiting the aisle and walking down slowly towards the redhead, making sure to stay close to the aisles. A quick turn of the young girl's head caused Weiss to move into the next aisle, hoping the shelving unit was closed off.

 _'Pleasedon'tsayshenoticedmepleasedon'tsayshenoticedme..'_ Weiss repeated in her head. A moment later she heard the hooded girl sigh. "Just another one of my moments of paranoia." Ruby came to conclude, turning back around. Weiss let out a quiet sigh. A moment later and the clerk returned with a box.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, couldn't find the one I was looking for, here you are."

I peeked around the corner, snooping on the conversation. Ruby looked at the box, noticing something different with it. "This isn't the same attachment as my previous scope. Mine was a 3.5 x 35 sight, this i 32." She pointed out to the clerk.

"I know I know, but there's a sale on it today, I thought you'd like a little upgrade. But if you don't like it I'll go get you your old one." The man said. Ruby hook her head.

"No, it's alright. As long as it's on sale."

The young scythe wielder placed the box on the counter and the young man scanned the barcode on the box, pressing some buttons on his computer.

"Alright, that'll be 1,500 Lien," The man read aloud the price.

"What?! I thought you said it was on sale?!" Ruby proclaimed, I could sense her shock.

"It is! The original price is like, 2,000 to 3,000 Lien!" The clerk explained. I watched as Ruby's head dropped, a sense of sympathy burned in my chest.

"Awww... I can't afford that.." Ruby sulked as she looked in her wallet.

"Well, sorry Ruby. I can replace your regular scope if you'd like."

"No, it's alright. I guess I'll just have to wait until I earn enough money," Ruby assured. "Thanks anyway Lex."

"No problem." Lex returned the smile.

A thought came to mind as Weiss watched the whole scenario, watching as the hooded girl waved goodbye to the clerk before exiting the shop. A smug grin appeared on the heiress' face.

"Thank you lord." Weiss praised.

* * *

 _Later that afternoon..._

Ruby stood in the team dormroom, holding a note that was left behind by Yang/Blake. The redhead sat down at the desks before reading the note left behind.

 _Dear Rubbles_

The first introduction was scratched out, leaving only a fragment of the words in readable appearance, underneath was a fresh sentence. "*sigh* Yang.." Ruby shook her head before returning to the note.

 _To our roommate's/partner's_

 _We know this is all so sudden, and we apologize for the quick situation, but by the time you read this, me and Yang are either on the cruise ship or about to depart. We have told the headmaster about the trip, so do not worry about it. Also, Ruby. I know I shouldn't speak of this on paper, but I spoke to Weiss about what you said to me yesterday, I know you told me to keep it personal, but what I got out of it might help your situation. Weiss told me that she feels guilty and stupid about the separation, she probably won't bestow it in her to tell you, so I thought I should relay her opinion. So please, give her a chance to redeem herself for her foolishness. I hope I see you two together again after the trip, it pains me to know you two want each other, but won't do anything about it. It pains me even more to see you two separate. Anyways, I have to go, Yang wants to go shopping for new sunglasses. I hope to see you and Weiss soon together again,_

 _Blake._

Ruby's eyes lit up in admiration. Her spark returning to her as she read the last paragraph. A smile forming on her face as a warm buzz fluctuated through her body. The hooded warrior noticed one last sentence on the bottom of the page.

 _P.S. I haven't told Yang about this still, I wrote this beforehand as Yang didn't have much time to write it (plus, I hated her intro), she never got time to review it so at least the secret is somewhat still safe. Anyway, see ya!_

"Weiss, still loves me.." Ruby's eyes started to water a bit.

" **She still loves me!** "

 **And that's the end of another one. Once again sorry for the wait, and the shortness of the chapter. Anyway. Nothing says love like cruises, secrets, secret gift buying, slight enabler fluff, and guns. So I can't wait to hear some idea's and stuff, and as always. Stay tuned XD**

 **Peace***


	6. Watering a White Rose, Part 2

**Alright. Welcome back to another chapter of RWBY. I'll keep this quick, just wanted to reply to a few of the reviews:**

 **KibaPT, I don't know what you meant by RWBY Z, is that a code or something? Idk maybe I'm just stupid cuz I don't understand that.**

 **Also, to Ashley (Anon). Glad to see you enjoyed the last one. The last comment made me laugh and still does whenever I read it. Love the cheerful attitude whenever you read my story, really inspires me to do more.**

 **Also, a shout-out to Ashley as well for giving me this idea. No offence, and I don't mean to put the rest of you on the spot, but she's literally the ONLY one who gave me some idea's on where they should go. So thx a lot Ashley for the idea, I have a plan brewing for the white rose couple, though I can't say it's either good or bad, so just bear with me.**

 **So let's begin the STORY NOTE: You wanted this damn shit, you got it! You'll understand when you read this chapter. I should tell you now that the time in the beginning's in the afternoon, thought I should remind you. The ship that Ruby and Weiss ride in is named the ACE.01, no references, just a name I came up with. For a mental image it's kinda like the airship Ruby and Yang ride in on the way to beacon the very first episode, a bus-ship. After the festival (They go into a coffee shop), it's about 10 p.m. Also, this chap's got a lot of dialogue and stuff, not really any action (sorry) but don't worry, it'll come some day. Anyway, pce.**

(Ruby's POV)

" **She still loves me!** "

I jumped in excitement as a tear of joy rolled down my face, laying down on the carpet as I laughed and cried at the same time. Then, a thought came to mind.

 _'I need to end this stupid separation.'_

Jumping to my feet, I bolted out the door and up the stairs to the dorm's rooftop. I looked all around the vicinity of the dormitory, the heiress was nowhere to be found. I sulked a bit when I came to the conclusion.

"Oh wait, I can track her scroll." I said to no one in particular, pulling out my scroll and tapping my contacts app. I scrolled through my scroll (pun intended) until I came to the 'I' section.

"Ice queen, ice queen, ice cream with the ice queen." I mumbled the little rhythm as I searched. Finally, I found Weiss. Opening up her contact file, I pressed the 'Track' button in the options. Soon enough, it pinpointed her location and mine, showing she wasn't too far. I guessed she was at the statue. I smirked as I jumped off the left side building, grabbing the nearest branch and swinging from it, then finally landing on the ground with a roll before bolting off.

Just as I predicted, Weiss was at the statue, looking at it with her back turned away. I was about to jump her, but remembering her tolerance to my childish behaviour stopped the urge. I instead walked up to the heiress quietly, making sure not to make a sound.

"I wonder if Ruby will ever forgive me," Weiss started to speak, I stopped dead in my tracks. "I wouldn't blame her if she didn't."

The heiress sighed, looking down at the ground. "I'm such an idiot. I drove the one person I love with all my heart away. I guess I truly live up to my teammates', and my family's nickname," I could hear Weiss' shaky, pained breath, "I really am the ice queen. Cold-hearted, self-centred, high-maintenance, daddy's girl..."

I heard Weiss continue to put herself down as her list continued. Not wanting to hear anymore sorrow, I proceeded to walk quietly up to her again. As I got close enough I wrapped my arms around the white haired girl, earning a gasp from her.

"R-R-Ruby..." Weiss stammered, her voice still holding the sorrow she had felt for her actions. I tightened my grip on the girl, the heiress returning the hold as she held onto my arm, burying her face in the soft, silky texture of my sleeve.

"Sssshhh... It's okay Weiss. I know you only wanted to figure some things out, you never intended on ending the relationship."

"But I'm an idiot!" Weiss blurted, breaking free of my grip and turning to me. "I told you _I_ wanted time to collect my thoughts. I, as in me, myself and I. I never even considered how you felt and-"

I stopped her stammering once again with another firm hug, this time, toppling the both of us over as we fell onto the stone walkway. Weiss sat upright in my grasp as I sat in her lap. Before the heiress could say anything more, I grabbed the back of her head and gently forced her lips quiet as she met contact with my collarbone, muffling any attempts for speech. I calmly stoked her hair, whispering a quieting sound as I could feel Weiss' breathing calm down through the cloth of my cape.

"Weiss?" I called her name. She let out a silent 'mhm?'

" _I forgive you._ "

My grip on her loosened slightly as Weiss' head rose from my shoulder. "B-but, why?" Weiss asked, confused about my intentions. I smiled.

"Because you are everything to me Weiss, I could never not want to ever see you again. I don't know how to explain this, but you bring out something deep within my heart, something I never thought I would ever have. Hope." I explained, painting the white haired girl's cheeks with a flustering red.

"I-I do?"

I nodded. "Yep, I never saw a point in life. I always thought I would grow up, train and go on missions with my other colleagues, and to be honest, seeking to reach the end of my early life by a grimm slashing me and bleeding out. As I continued on, it seemed there was no point in life, no motives to live by and no one to truly understand what I was going through. I had cut myself close-to often all the time, drunk Yang's liquor, refilling it with water to make sure she never noticed, hell, I even started smoking a little bit. But I soon realized I was giving up too soon, so I quit it all, hoping that one day someone would show me a new fire in my life. I didn't quit cutting as much, but I guess you could say it was a lot less than what it used to be, a lot less."

"Why didn't you talk to your therapist or your sister or family?" Weiss asked.

"Because as much as they loved me and cared about my well-being, they couldn't show me the fire I was seeking. My therapist was the one who suggested I stopped the hazardous health risks, which I did under her consent. But she couldn't show me what it was like to have some meaning to myself. Yang and my family supported me through thick and thin, helping me as much as they could. That's kinda why Yang is so overprotective, she'd kill anyone who'd hurt me, even if it was emotional pain I felt. But Yang's only my half-sister, she cannot show me the love of being with someone close, as much as she wanted to. Though I can't say she hasn't been a huge help for me in my times of need."

The pieces were starting to fit together in Weiss' mind, understanding what I was saying to the fullest.

"Wait, so when Yang said she seen a new light in you..."

"She was relieved. Yang truly was happy that I found my light."

"Your light..!"

Weiss finally understood what she meant, looking me straight in the eyes. "I-I'm your light." The heiress finally said. I nodded happily and gave her another hug, giggling softly.

"You are my light."

I released the white haired girl, bringing my hands to her neck as I cradled her head. I closed my eyes and planted my lips onto Weiss', earning a low moan from said girl. She wrapped her arms around my hips as the collective huntress deepened the kiss. We both fell to the cold stone ground as we kept a steady pace of lip motion. I could feel my lungs start to ache for oxygen, ending the kiss as a thick strand of saliva stuck on our lips. We both panted slightly as we regained our stamina, soon returning to the kiss. I requested entry in Weiss' mouth, making the white haired girl's eyes widen slightly. She soon accepted the request as our tongues played in blissfulness. I broke it off once again, standing up and offering my hand to the heiress. The white clad girl smiled as she took my hand. After hoisting her up I wrapped my arms around her arm, interlocking our opposite hands together as we walked back to the dorms.

Weiss locked the door as we both entered our dormroom. The world looked a lot brighter and fuller now that I got to be with my white haired lover. But there was still a question that burned in my heart to know.

"Weiss?" I called out to my love, who was putting her scroll on a charging pad. Weiss turned around and gave me her full attention.

"Yes Ruby?" She answered.

I looked down a little at the floor as I locked my hands together behind my back, feeling stupid for needing to ask the burning question. "I-I don't mean to pull at every detail, but. Does this mean we're back together again?" I asked. A feeling of guilt slightly burning in my chest for protruding. I didn't want to shave at our trust, but then again, who could blame me?

Weiss smiled once again, her content face and glimmering white teeth melted my soul, flourishing a strong blush from me. My blushing caused me to blush even more.

"You're so cute when you are embarrassed." Weiss finally said, causing me confusion.

"W-what?"

"You honestly don't think that after confronting me, forgiving me and all my stupid decisions, and soon later kissing at the statue wouldn't mean we're back together?"

"I-I just.. I didn't hear you say anything about it. I just, want to know." I said, my last sentence coming down a tone as I looked away.

I heard Weiss walking, though no idea where. Suddenly my chin was adjusted to her affixed gaze. She pulled me into a firm hug, stoking my hair.

"Do you love me?" The white haired girl asked.

"Of course." I responded.

"Say it."

"I love you."

"Say my full name."

I sighed. "Come on!"

"Just say it."

"I love you, Weiss Schnee."

I felt a kiss on my cheek, which lasted a few seconds before looking at me again. "I love you too, Ruby Rose."

A smirk arose on my face. I squealed as I jumped for joy. "Finally!"

I jumped onto Weiss' bed, laying back on it in pure joy. I've waited almost 3 weeks just to hear the ice queen say that to me once again. Weiss sat beside me and laid down, resting her head on my shoulder as she looked up at me. We both smirked as the heiress placed a soft kiss on my lips. She exhaled in tranquility as we laid on her bed.

"So Ruby, I was wondering. It's only 5 in the afternoon, tomorrow's the weekend. I was wondering, would you like to go on a make-up date with me? I found this wonderful place to watch the stars, I hear there's a magic show going on only tonight in Vale, and there's a music festival going on at central park too." Weiss stated, waiting my response. I exaggerated a pondering look for a moment, after teasing the girl's patience for a good amount of time I finally nodded my head.

"I would love to Weiss."

* * *

(Weiss' POV)

My head rested on Ruby's lap in the quiet airship's seats, the redhead stroking my head gently, her cape covering me for warmth. Not a lot of people were present on said ship, leaving for a quiet ride in peace. I watched as the clouds slowly drifted along with Ace.01, thinking about the festivities that were present in Vale.

"So, Weiss." Ruby finally spoke, ending the quietness of the ride.

"Mhm?" I answered.

"I was wondering, what made you change your mind?" The hooded girl asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked her, a look of confusion on me, even though she could not see my facial expressions.

"Why did you feel guilty and want to get back together with me? I thought you said you were afraid of the public seeing your image with another girl?"

I did at first, but I soon realized I was only following the public's will, not my own. To sum it up I don't care what other people think of me anymore, having this.. poor excuse for a separation was the dumbest thing that's spewed out of me, and I'm a Schnee for crying out loud, I shouldn't make dumb mistakes like that."

"Well, what about your family's thoughts on us?"

I sighed, knowing that probably a majority of my family would throw me on the streets if they found out, but I knew I'd have to face the matter one day. "We'll cross that bridge when the time comes. Just promise me you won't set me on the spot if it does."

"Alright, well how about we make a detour?" Ruby asked, "metaphorically speaking."

"What are you implying Ruby?" I asked the redhead.

"Why don't we go and see your parents this weekend, tell them how you are doing and that you are safe?" The young girl requested. I gave Ruby an uncomfortable sigh.

"I-I don't know, it just seems pretty blunt and unpredicted, going down there suddenly without at least planning it first."

"Well, it is a long weekend, we can go and just visit for a day or two and come back to Beacon."

I got up and looked at Ruby, her determination gleaming like a.. signal (hehe, you thought I was gonna say beacon didn't ya?) aimed directly at me.

"I don't know Ruby.." I expressed. Ruby's eyes changed a tone like a light switch as she looked at me sympathetically.

"Pweeeaase Weiss..." The scythe wielder begged, her puppy-dog eyes melting my heart. I tried to hold my ground, but her cute, adorable face pummelled my soul, making me give in. I sighed.

"Well, I guess I could give my sister a call. She's been dying to see me again, saying she'd drop any plans just to see me. I hope she meant her word." I replied, the redhead jumping up in victory.

"Yay!" The excited teen shouted, causing the few people in the ship to look over at the commotion. I settled the now jittering girl down, her excitement still vibrating through her.

"On one condition."

"What is it?"

"If you come to see my parents and family this weekend, I wanna even up the score. I want to meet your parents, and this mother I keep hearing of."

Ruby's complexion changed from excited to worried. I wondered if she'd give up now.

"Alright," The redhead finally agreed. "I'll call my dad and plan a weekend visit."

"And you can finally meet my mom."

* * *

 _About 5 Hours later...(still in Weiss' POV)_

It was a fun and amazing adventure of a date night. We went to the magic show and the music festival first, in that order. We ate our supper's at the festival though, I having a salad and Ruby a gyro. After eating our dinner's we listened to an amazing band hailing from Vacuo called Animale. After the band was done all the Valeonians that attended started leaving to and fro in different directions. I held onto Ruby's hand tightly as I guided her through the busy crowd. Finally, we took to shelter from the gigantic crowd in a 24-hour coffee shop. Ruby and I watched as the crowd moved in order, soon later turning around to get some drinks. After our drinks we spent the last half an hour travelling, not to Beacon, but a special spot in particular.

"How much further Weiss? My feet are killing meeee..." Ruby whined,

"Just a little more Ruby, we're almost there hun." I responded, holding onto her hand tightly to ensure the redhead kept her pace. Finally, I opened the door of the skyscraper. "Now, close your eyes."

"Okay." Ruby complied. I guided the young huntress onto the asphalt ground. After a couple times going around some obstacles, I finally stopped the redhead. Ruby opened her eyes to see she was surrounded by dozens of different flowers and other wildlife, as well as a large pond with 4 bridges that connected to an island that we happened to stand on. The young girl's eyes lit up like fireworks as she squealed at the sight before her.

"OHMYGOD WEISS!" Ruby exclaimed in joy as she lunged at me, she giggled as we did a little twirl. "This is awesome!"

"I thought you'd like it," I replied, "but this isn't just a breathtaking garden on some random skyscraper."

I brought the overjoyed girl across the bridge, standing at the edge of the building. "This is a breathtaking garden on the tallest and most attractive skyscraper in all of Vale, well known for its-"

"Woooww.." Ruby shrilled in amazement.

"Amazing view." I concluded, smiling at Ruby's awestruck expression. Her eyes twinkled from the broken moon that shone across Remnant. The redhead turned to me, her silver eyes met my sapphire ones as she pressed her lips against mine unexpectedly. My eyes widened from the unseen movement, but soon came to realization as I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around the silver-eyed cookie monster, deepening the kiss. We separated for air, but soon returned back to the task as we coursed our hands on each other's backs. Finally, I let go of Ruby's lips and grabbed her hand. "Come on, the night's not done just yet."

"Weiss. I know you want to make up for the separation, but I'm really, really tired. I don't think I can take any more activities, as much as I want to." She replied honestly, giving me a fatigued smirk.

"Don't worry, it's not something that takes a lot of energy," I told her. "In fact, it should do the opposite."

Ruby gave me a questioned look. I turned around and pressed a button on my scroll. All of a sudden, the ground at the island shifted, creating a noticeable seam as the floor started to shift and creating a large hole at the garden's center. Another floor started rising from said hole in ground, stopping at ground level, the previous ground locked into place with the new one, ending the process. Atop the new island floor resided a beautiful white king-sized bed in a nice, simple frame. I walked Ruby over to the new island atmosphere, the hooded warrior nodding in amazement.

"Wow. I must say Weiss, you are really starting to blow my mind. I'm impressed. Is there also an airship with a band in it singing a song about my name too somewhere in the plan?" Ruby exaggerated, making me laugh. I shook my hands.

"No no, I didn't want to go overboard. BUT, I did get you a present. Well, a couple," I answered, digging under the king bed and pulling out a few gift-wrapped boxes, all with white rose petals on it. I gave her the first one on the list. "Open this one first."

Ruby did as asked and ripped at the wrapping paper. She looked in awe to see the scope she wanted back at the weapon shop. "It's the scope I wanted! How did you know?!"

"I have my ways." I answered slyly. I gave Ruby the next present. The red hooded girl opened the next one, revealing a luxurious long, dark-grey box with the company logo on it. I grabbed the box and opened it in front of her, revealing a beautiful white-gold necklace with an oval _WR_ engraving on it. "It gets better."

I pressed the side button on the oval, opening it. It held a picture of Ruby and I in our onesies, the necklace playing a melodic version of _Red Like Roses_. Ruby cupped her hands to her face, her eyes wide and soon welling up as she listened to the chiming song. I closed the small picture frame locket and placed the necklace around the soon-to-be crying redhead, clicking it in place around her neck.

"Just wait, hold your tears just a little longer," I begged the girl, wiping the water droplets in her eyes. I picked up the last present, giving it to Ruby.

"W-Weiss, I can't take all this in one day!" Ruby exasperated, letting out an excited laugh at the amount of affection being displayed to her. She ripped open the last present and gasped, cupping her hand once again on her mouth. The tears started to flow now.

"I-it's... It's..."

It was her picture she drew of us, this time in a lovely thin glass-encased portrait. She flipped it around to see the list on the back, nothing blocking the writing. The backrests were placed on the sides of the frame to allow perfect view of the written work. "Y-you found the picture?!"

I nodded happily. "Mhm. I went into town today to get it framed at a professional photography studio. They made this custom-ordered for this very occasion," I answered. "It is worth about 150 lien retail price, but it was worth every cent."

Ruby dropped to her knees as she cried in pure happiness. I sunk down to her and placed the picture on the bed. Soon after, Ruby jumped into my arms, rubbing her face against my chest in joy as she bawled. She truly was just like a little girl.

"*sob* W-Weiss.. *sniff* This is the best day ever!" Ruby sobbed, giving me the biggest bearhug ever. "Thank you!"

"Don't need to thank me," I replied, pulling the sobbing girl's wet face up to eye level. "I just wanna know you forgive me."

"I do," Ruby replied, giving me a quick peck on the lips. "With all my heart and soul, I forgive you."

"Just, don't ever leave me." She said softly, laying gently on my chest.

I picked up the cookie crusader and placed her on the bed, wiping away a tear in her eye as she watched me. I gave her a comforting smirk as I kissed her on the forehead and walked around the bed, putting down the picture as I made my way to the end of the bed. Taking off my shoes first, I crawled onto the mattress and made my way up to Ruby, undoing my hairpin's as I let my hair down. I took off my jacket and threw it on the ground, loosening my dress as I lifted my leg around Ruby's lap and sat down. I rubbed the girl's stomach, relaxing her body as I started undoing her dress as well. I took off her hooded cape and placed it on the ground next to us as I pulled off Ruby's long-sleeved corset. I removed my own dress as well as I coursed my girlfriend's developing bust, earning low moaning from the redhead. I kissed the epicentre of her bust, making the girl giggle a bit.

"Weiss, that tickles." Ruby said, giggling as I continued. I motorboated the huntress, making her laugh uncontrollably as she grabbed my head. After about 5 minutes of tickling the girl, I rose up and looked at Ruby.

"I love you Ruby," I said to the redhead, cupping her chin with my hand. "I would never leave you, ever."

"I love you too Weiss." Ruby replied, rising up to kiss me as she wrapped her arms around my neck. We kissed for what seemed like forever before I made a trail of kisses down her body, undoing her underwear as I continued. Just the two of us, and the shattered moon on the rooftop garden. I lastly kissed her...

I don't know, use your imagination. I'm not making another lemon chapter.

 **So I hope you enjoyed this. Finally, the white rose couple's back together. I want to kinda pause this story, not for a long time, I just want to change it up a bit. So I might either do a special chapter, cuz I've missed a couple of holiday chapter's (valentine's day, easter, and of course, the best one of all, 420. Even though it's not a real holiday), or I might start the AU story I told you guy's I was gonna do. So leave a comment about which you'd rather see, and if you want me to do the faunus Weiss AU, give me a few title's for it. Anyway, I hope to hear from all of you soon, as always, stay tuned!**

✌ *peace*


	7. Winter

**Hey! Welcome back to another chapter of RWBY: Thorn's of a White Rose. I'm terribly sorry for the long delay, like I said my computer to a shit on me. But I finally got it fixed and was able to keep my original faunus chapter for RFSH, so I posted the ORIGINAL copy as an alternate chapter and will be continuing from that chapter, not the first. I've been getting good comments about it and people are liking it, so I recommend it to anyone who doesn't know about it yet, it's called RWBY: The Red Fox and the Snow Hare. Also, I've been thinking about keeping update posts on my profile in case if anyone wants to know my intentions on the stories I've made. So I posted there that I would be doing an Independence Day/Canada Day special chapter (Sorry if it's called something else in America, I don't even know what day it is). It has nothing really to do with the original plot to the story so I thought I should tell you that. So yeah, I'll be working on that. Also, exam's are coming up so I got to kinda focus on that a little bit, not that it has anything to do with the story, just thought I should tell you. Anyways, Enjoy. I gotta go to school, Pce.**

 **ALSO, Just sending my quick tribute and respects to those killed and injured in the Orlando Shooting. I know it's a little late, but better late than never. So yeah, a tribute to all from Canada.**

 _Almost 6:05 a.m. On the rooftop bed/garden (Weiss' POV)._

I awoke to the feeling of my partner-in-crime and girlfriend Ruby tossing over as she mumbled something about combat skirts. I opened my eyes to see the beautiful dark-bluish sky. I wanted to roll over too and just fall back asleep, but there was something on my mind that danced in my head like a jester in the court. It stayed in my mind the whole date, suppressing it during the key moments but nonetheless. I sighed, sitting up straight and reaching for my outfit, which was placed beside me. I dug in my pouches until I pulled out my scroll.

Ruby moaned a bit as she flipped over to her other side. I looked over to see the girl still very much asleep, though conscious enough to know I caused the movement. She reached for me, saying my name a couple times.

"Weiss, come back to bed with me please… it's soo cold…." Ruby begged in her sleep, not even opening her eyes as she extended her arm out fully. I touched her tiny hand, firmly grasping it.

"Just a moment sweetheart, I have to do something important first." I assured the sleeping redhead. After a few moments Ruby finally said, "okay.", soon flipping back over to her other side once again. I smirked as I got up and made my way to the balcony of the skyscraper, opening the phone app and dialing a number.

*Ring…

*Ring…

*Ring…

*Ring…

"Come on sis, pick up!" I whispered. Finally it connected to her voicemail, which was odd knowing the woman was not asleep. Her regular work schedule prevented her from sleeping in, even on weekends. I sighed as I waited for a beep, finally giving her a quick message before hanging up again. I turned around and was about to walk when my scroll started vibrating. I lifted it up to see it was my sister trying to call me this time, answering it just after finding out who it was.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hi there, is this the number of Weiss Schnee?" The person asked. I let out a groan.

"Seriously, do you not recognize the voice?" I asked her.

"Yep, that's you," Winter concluded. "How is it going Weiss?"

"I'm alright sis. How are you?"

"I'm doing pretty grand if you ask me. But enough about me, what about you? I should rephrase; what is it you called for?"

"Nothing! Can't a sister call her eldest just to see how they are?" I protested, getting defensive.

"Well, it's 10 after 6 on a Saturday morning, I haven't heard back from you in, what is it now? Almost a year. Either there's something going on that you needed to call me for, or you accidentally called this number. I'm going for A on this one, but who knows?"

I sighed. Winter knew me too well, for me to just up and call her, especially at 6:10 in the morning, let alone on a Saturday. The white haired woman knew too well.

"I seriously just wanted to hear from you again. I wanted to ask, while it's still early-"

"There it is," Winter interrupted. "What do you need now, little sister?"

"I wanted to ask if I could come up and see you!" I said loudly, now frustrated. The line went silent, making me both nervous and anxious. "Winter, are you still there?"

The line was still silent. I was about to press the end call button when I finally heard something on the phone.

"Wait, wait! Why do you want to visit me all of a sudden?" Winter finally spoke.

I sighed. "Jesus Christ, do I have to spell it out for you. I WANT TO SEE MY SISTER! I haven't seen you in like a year. I have nothing planned and almost everyone in my team has left for the weekend!" I explained.

"Almost, everyone?"

"Yeah, my team leader's sister and her," I contemplated what word to use. She'd probably be a little skeptical if she knew my girlfriend's sister was dating another girl, and as the saying goes; 'runs in the family.' I wasn't quite ready to tell her I was dating Ruby, not yet anyways. I continued. "Friend won a trip for a cruise. They are best friends of course, so she packed up and they took the first airship to the docks a couple days ago."

"So you have a team leader? Huh, I thought you would be good enough for the role."

"Hey! I was close! It wasn't my fault that he didn't see me as a leader for my team! What could I have done…-"

"Weiss, Weiss. Relax, I was only kidding sweetheart. So this team leader, what's his or her name?" Winter asked, interrupting my agitated rant.

"Her name's Ruby Rose, she's about 15-or-so. She had nothing to do and she was talking about family and when we talked about it I thought you could meet. You know, show her around Atlas and stuff."

"There's not much in Atlas, One statue of a man, large skyscrapers that loom over the city, and, of course, the one mountain that enables this cold city to keep its refrigerated temperature almost year-round."

"There's also the opportunity to view the large, expensive mansion that is owned by you."

I could hear Winter contemplating this idea as a moment of silence dawned once again. Not wanting to wait for a conclusion, I weighed in some more.

"Come on Winter! You said that whenever I wanted to come and see you again, you would drop everything for me! What happened to that promise?"

"Fine, fine! Okay. When should I dispatch a helicopter to come pick you two up?"

I smiled at her final decision. "Actually, we'll come to Atlas by airship, just send it to the docks there."

"Alright, I will."

"Okay, thanks." I said, about to hang up.

"Oh, and sister?"

"Yes?" I asked.

"I love you, have a safe trip."

And with that, Winter ended the call. It was odd talking to her again, especially since it's been awhile. I made a promise to call her sooner, but with complications at school and her flexible work schedule, and the girlfriend separation dilemma, I completely forgotten to take some initiative. Then again, she could've called me too. Knowing my sister, she'd be the one to just work hard all day and go straight home, with a few exemptions of hanging out with friends from work. It wasn't like her busy day didn't leave any free time to call me or anything.

I walked back to the bed and placed my scroll on my outfit, getting back under the blanket and squirming a little as I got comfortable. I was about to close my eyes when Ruby flipped over and rested her arm around my waist and her head in my chest, letting out a comfortable sigh.

"Ruby, you awake?" I asked the little girl. Said girl didn't respond as her chest and arms continued to expand and contract. I smirked a bit as I kissed the little cookie crusader on the head, closing my eyes as I soon went back to sleep.

* * *

 _7:30 a.m._

The blissful sleep didn't last long as I heard the alarm on my scroll go off. Ruby and I both groaned as I reached for my scroll, tapping the snooze button and getting up slowly. I looked over to see Ruby laying on the bed, scrunching up as she continued to sleep.

I shook the little red hood. "Come on Ruby. We got to get up."

Ruby let out a whine. "No!" She said childishly.

"Come on hun, we got to pack our bags. The trip to Atlas will be a 3 hour flight."

Ruby just let out another groan. A thought popped in my mind as she continued to sleep. I walked around the bed and searched Ruby's outfit. Finally finding what I was looking for, I walked up to the sleeping redhead and blew her whistle, making the red clad girl jump up in the air. The girl sat on the bed, shaking like a leaf. I felt a little guilty for startling her to death, but the deed was done and the girl was now fully awake. I let out a sympathetic smirk as I handed Ruby her dress and hood, to which the girl took with some attitude as we both got ready. After acquiring everything from the night Ruby walked over to the exit, waiting for me as the bed closed beneath the garden with the press of a button from my scroll. I walked over to my girlfriend, who was rubbing her eyes as she let out a yawn. Upon seeing me walk up to her she stood straight up, holding her hand out.

"Just hold on Ruby, I have a different idea." I said, pulling out my scroll again. I tapped a few buttons on the touchscreen, pointing the pad at the garden, though nothing happened.

"Uhh. Weiss? We got to go now, it'll probably take an hour or so of walking to get back to Beacon, unless you have a bus pass or something." Ruby stated, tugging my jacket.

"Just wait…"

All of a sudden, two rocket locker's landed into the ground. Both joined together by a large amount of duct tape. Two seats were also taped onto them as well.

"I took the liberty of conjoining two old and refurbished lockers together to get home after the date. With a little bit of help from our feline friend we both made and tested them," I grabbed Ruby's hand. "Come on!"

Ruby's eyes twinkled at the sight of the two locker's that stood before us. I opened one of them and placed Ruby's presents in it, closing it up and checking the strapping once before giving her the nod.

"Isn't this a little dangerous Weiss?" Ruby protested, to which I nodded.

"A little bit, but it is also quick and quite convenient," I gave Ruby a thumb's up. "No worries. Bad comes to worse we detach the seats and deploy the parachutes."

"Sounds like it could kill me," Ruby smirked a bit. "I love it."

"Thought you would."

After our 'adventurous' ride on the rocket locker for two, we walked into our team dormroom and pulled out our luggage bag's. Ruby's was black with red zippers and mine was a French white leather with a cursive 'W.S.' stitched on. We placed our bags side-by-side and opened them, opening the drawer as we packed a couple pairs of underwear and nightwear.

"Weiss, what's it like up there?"

I thought about it for a moment, turning around to face Ruby. "Well, it's a big utopia filled with different kinds of people, it's also got the biggest military force in Remnant, and to the south they have the rich residential area that I lived and grew up in. As far as that I don't really know."

Ruby gave me a confused look. "What do you mean? Didn't you grow up there? See what there is to see?"

I looked down a little, breaking eye contact with my girlfriend. "N-not really.. I lived in the wealthy part of the city, which rested atop of a small hill-like mountain. There weren't that many kids who lived there. Those who did, either their parent's didn't want me around because of my title as a Schnee, or they were only accompanying me because they wanted something. I never had any real friends. And my family was always too busy to do anything with me really, sometimes I wouldn't see them for a week. The only real friend and family member I had was my older sister Winter. She'd take care of me and stand up whenever my parent's yelled at me. But because she enrolled in Atlas academy's military program, we never really had time to enjoy the city of Atlas as much. I watched the city from my house and whenever we flew to my dad's company, but that's as far as I've really gotten."

"Really?" Ruby asked, curiosity peaked at my explanation. "So basically, you've never seen the city of Atlas, you've never had any real friends, and you've never had a chance to be with your full family?"

"No no! That last part's not true. We went to my grandmother's funeral about 4 years ago. And I got to meet some of my relatives."

"Really? Once 4 years ago? You should have at least been with them once again those past 4 years as a full family."

I rubbed my chin, trying to think. After a long, hard investigation, I shook my head. "No. We see each other practically never. When I flew to Vale that day only my sister was there to see me go."

I felt a warm body wrap around me. I turned my head to see Ruby on the verge of crying almost. "That's the saddest thing I've heard!" She said, resting her head on my shoulder. I smirked a bit, at least one person in the whole world appreciated me. Well, two people.

"But it's okay though, cause when I met you and Yang and Blake I found what it truly meant to have friends, friends that cared for each other. And with it I also found love. In the world, in society, but most importantly, in one particular person."

"Who might that be?" Ruby asked, making me sigh.

"You ya dunce!"

"Oh, yeah." Ruby rubbed the back of her head. "Uhm, I don't mean to be cold or rude or anything, but I meant what's the climate like up there."

"It's cold, you might want to bring a warmer combat skirt or something." I answered, to which Ruby nodded. I walked up to the little hooded girl and gave her a peck on the cheek. "And thank you for caring about me. I don't deserve the amount of love you give me, yet you show me so much it makes me grateful to have such a great and beautiful girlfriend."

Ruby blushed a bit. "I should be saying that about you. You give me this warm buzz even when we were on separation. You cared for me to your fullest and you knew when I was down and stuff. You're like a mother in a sense," The little redhead stated. "Not to be weird or anything though."

I smiled contently. "And you're like a little child." I joked, to which Ruby exclaimed a bit.

I pinched Ruby's cheeks, making the girl flail out as she blushed. After letting go of her cheeks we continued to pack. Soon we were all finished with all of our luggage and necessities in hand. I did a double check to make sure we didn't leave anything. Once satisfied I locked the dormroom door and did a quick nod. I turned around to see Pyrrha and Jaune with our luggage.

"Hey guys, what are you two doing here?" I greeted with a positive attitude. The small group turned their attention to me.

"Hey Weiss! Ruby told us that you two were going to Atlas to see your family," Pyrrha said with a content smile. "Would you like us to carry your luggage?"

"Oh, you don't have to Pyrrha," I said, waving my hands to object. "Thank you though."

"Oh, nonsense. Come on, we can say our goodbyes before you leave too."

I let out a slight sigh. "If you insist. I don't mean to intrude on your time."

We walked down the stone pathway of Beacon. The nice morning sky and the crisp morning air gave off a jitter of excitement for the new day ahead of us. I had mixed feelings about this trip. Half of me wanted to see my family once again, show them how much I've improved and learned since I left. And show them my beautiful and talented girlfriend, who has sprouted a different side of me since we met. It is one thing to have a girlfriend, it is another to have that and a partner who would have your back for you.

But another side wanted me to stay.

As much as I loved my… sister, I should say. There's still the uneasy awkwardness that is we cannot read each other's mind. I have no clue what she will say when I tell her that Ruby and I are together, and I have even lesser sense to what she would do. Would she call me a disgrace? A dyke? The one thing I aimed to avoid and now I'm headed straight for it. At least I have Ruby here to help me through it too. Speaking of the devil, what is she up to?

Ruby continued to walk forward, there was something off with her though. She moved in closer to me and tapped my hand, signalling she wanted to hold it. Once Ruby did though she snapped out of her daze.

"S-sorry. I won't pressure you if you don't feel…"

Ruby's sentence was cut off by me accepting the hold, grasping onto her hand firmly as we continued to walk.

"B-but, didn't you want to take it slowly?" Ruby asked in a low voice.

"Hey, I'm about to confess to my family, my sister, in less than 1 or 2 days, we might as well try it with our friend's first." I answered, giving Ruby a reassuring nod. Ruby's mood brightened up as she too nodded with confidence. We finally made it to the docks, where an airship sat still as people boarded. The arkos couple turned around and noticed Ruby and I holding hands. They showed slight wonder about it, but was quickly pushed aside as they placed our luggage on the ground beside us.

"Well, looks like this is the end of the line. How long'll you two be gone?" Jaune asked, changing the subject.

"Only for the weekend, don't worry. We probably won't be returning until Monday afternoon though." I answered.

"Have you told the headmaster that?" Pyrrha now asked. Ruby nodded.

"Yep. We told him of the trip and he told us to have a nice weekend." Ruby now spoke up.

"Well, we should let ya go. See you on Monday hopefully," Jaune extended out his hand. We shook both their hands and waved goodbye as they proceeded to walk to the docks.

"Oh, one more thing."

The two of them stopped and turned around. I grabbed Ruby's hand again and ran up to them both, who were standing there as they awaited my request.

"What is it?" Pyrrha asked. I looked away for a moment, trying to think of how to confess. After quickly thinking of it I looked back at her.

"I-I don't really… know how to say this, so I'll just cut to the point. You noticed Ruby and I holding hands, I kinda seen some thoughts forming in your minds, so I guess we gotta tell you guys first. Ruby and I, are.. together now, we're dating. I don't know if you've heard it or not, so I thought I should shed some light on your thoughts."

"I kinda had a feeling you two were, I could hear you two talking about something and Ruby's quick change of mood, and the hand holding and stuff." Pyrrha analyzed, which enlightened both me and Ruby.

"How long've you two been together?" Jaune asked.

"About a month or two now. We started dating during the summer," Ruby answered, "we didn't know how to tell you before, but we've built up a little confidence since then."

"Well, we're happy for you two. You make a cute couple by the way. " Pyrrha complimented.

We waved goodbye to them a few minutes later and boarded the ship. Taking a seat at one of the middle rows. We watched as Pyrrha and Jaune slowly became smaller and smaller, until we couldn't see them no more. Soon the ship started to move and Beacon academy did the same thing as we flew off to Atlas. I turned my head to see Ruby in a trance sort of. She stared at her fingers as if looking through a portal.

"Ruby, are you okay?" I asked the redhead in a caring and calm tone, touching her back to see if she responded. She didn't say anything for a moment, but soon snapped back to reality as she looked over to me.

"W-what did you say sorry?" The little hooded warrior asked.

"I asked if you were alright, you look down." I repeated. Ruby nodded her head, though her look said otherwise. A sudden thought jumped in my head.

"Did you remember to take your medicine?"

"That's the thing, I searched through my pockets and my pouch and I couldn't find it. I-I just, can't think right when I don't have them. My damn anxiety gets to me and I have a panic attack."

I pulled out a prescription bottle from my pocket. "Would this happen to be yours?"

The little girl took the bottle. "Yes! Where'd you find it?"

"It was in one of your outfits you wore already, in your hamper. I had a feeling you'd forget them, so I searched through your clothes and found it in one of your pockets there." I answered, opening the bottle. I gave Ruby one of her pills and took a bottle of water from the trolley's coming down the aisles, giving her the water and closing the medicine bottle. Ruby washed the pill down and gave the water back to me.

"Thank you Weiss." She said with a caring tone. I nodded.

"You're welcome sweetheart."

Ruby felt tired soon as she wrapped her arms around my one, interlocking our opposite hand's together. I watched as her eye's soon shut and the little red clad girl started to snore blissfully, making me smirk at the cuteness of the girl. I felt sorry for her, she had to deal with this depression, this anxiety. And the terrible duo could turn even the best of people into slaves of sadness, which was why I wanted to help her as much as possible. The poor thing was damaged, but not broken. I saw that in her from the very first day we started dating. She was breaking though, and I knew if she did something rash, if she hurt herself purposely, or worse… I would never forgive myself.

I kissed her on the head, looking out at the beautiful sea in the morning sky. It was a beautiful sight, but was too bad it was only gonna get colder and more miserable when we got to Atlas. People there had a sort of attitude, a demeanour that still irks me to this day. I only hope that they aren't as cold and apathetic as they were when I lived there.

I hope father isn't.


	8. Special Chapter (Canada Day4th of July)

**Heyo! Welcome back everyone to a new chapter of RWBY: TWR. I've got quite a lot to talk about, but if you are only interested in the story just skip to the chapter notes. Anywho. So a lot's been going on recently, but not to worry, I got it under control. School is finally over! which means a) I don't have to worry about the bullshit that is school life for 2 more months and b) I got free time to do as I please. Not that I have nothing better to do, I just like to keep my books open in case something does happen. Also, I got this special chapter done a few days prior to today (Canada Day, for those reading this at a later time). I was afraid I wouldn't get it done in time for the special holidays, but thankfully, I did. Another thing, the strangest thing happened about a week ago. I went to go check on my stories, and I noticed a got a new review on my very first story. When I opened the reviews it was a displeased comment about not letting he/she know about the lemon scene I made. I doubt he/she will read this but um... person, it says RIGHT IN THE STORY SUMMARY that it would be a lemon. *Sighs as the writer face palms* Seriously, does no one read my little rants? Is this just wasted time to you people? Anyways. If you're still reading this, thank you. One more thing before the chapter summary, I got my brother watching the RWBY series now. He seems to enjoy it, but I don't think he's the type to like fanfiction. All in all, he might be warming up to it.**

 **Chapter Notes: Alright, it's finally here! The special Canada Day/Independence Day chapter. This has nothing to do with the plot of the original story btw. It contains fireworks and the green stuff, and I ain't talking dollar bills. All seriousness. It takes place on today. The setting's just like a nice lake house with a firepit and everything. I know that Blake's a cat faunus, but she's also part human too, so I guess if you look at the lake scene in a human perspective for her, it works out. Also, it contains a little more bumblebee stuff than white rose, the way I see it is: This story is solely about the white rose couple, a hint of bumblebee here and there, but mainly those two girls. So it is nice to write about a different couple, other than white rose for at least this chapter. Lastly, this chapter contains ganja smoking (man), the good stuff. I should be working on the faunus bunny story afterwards, so stay tuned for that. But anyway, enjoy!**

 _6 a.m. (3rd Person POV)_

Team RWBY's dormroom was silent as the couple's slept in the two beds on the bottom floor. White rose in one and bumblebee in the other. Snoring could be heard from both sides. All of a sudden, an alarm went off, waking both Weiss and Blake as the two went to turn it off. Weiss was the first to make it to the alarm, stretching her arms as she let out a yawn.

"Good morning Blake," Weiss greeted as she turned to face the cat faunus. "Sleep well?"

"Morning Weiss, and yes, quite well might I add." Blake returned the greeting, getting up from her bed. Weiss turned back around and shook the little redhead that was her leader. Ruby started to stir as she flipped over, grabbing Weiss' hand and nibbling on her fingers. The White clad girl jumped slightly from the sudden feeling, but mellowed out as she pet the little girl's head. She tried to wake Ruby once again, earning a groan from said girl as she got up. Ruby rubbed her eyes as she let out a big yawn, opening her eyes to the sight of Weiss kissing her. She closed them once again as she leaned into the kiss a little more, though it was short lived as Weiss got up.

"Come on hun, we gotta big day today." Weiss stated as she held out her hand for the little girl. Said girl took her hand as Weiss pulled her out of the bed.

"Wait, what's today?" Ruby asked in a half drowsy tone, scratching her head. The white clad girl sighed.

"You dolt, did you forget why we packed our bags and got tickets to Patch for? We literally talked about it last night!" Weiss exclaimed, though Ruby's face remained unchanged. Another sigh left the heiress. "The Canada Day/Independence Day trip!"

The scythe wielder's face quickly turned to excitement as she finally remembered. "Oh yeah, the lodge and everything!"

Ruby finally remembered what they planned last night. Ruby & Yang's uncle Qrow owned a rather large and luxurious cabin with a lake and a dock close to it. The old man told his nieces he had to work that weekend though. Ruby asked team JNPR if they wanted to join them, but the team had already planned to go back to their homes for the holiday, giving team RWBY the opportunity to have the lodge for themselves. They had packed the previous night for the trip and decided to take an airship to the island. But Ruby forgot about it once she hit the pillows.

The young huntress jumped up in excitement as her hands shot up. "Oooo, I'm so excited!" She exclaimed.

Weiss held her hand out, calming the young hooded girl slightly. "Now now, wait until we get there, you'll need that energy later!"

* * *

Team RWBY, now off the airship at Patch, took their bags to a car that they rented for the weekend. Yang of course driving with Ruby in the passenger seat, and Blake and Weiss in the back.

"Tell me again why I couldn't sit up front?" Blake asked, leaning to the side for a full view of the front.

"Sorry, sibling's first choice. Don't worry though Blake, I'll let you sit in the front on the way back." Yang explained, piquing Weiss' attention.

"Wait a minute, I thought you wanted her up front so that she could navigate?" The heiress interrogated, confused by the real intentions of the seating arrangement. Yang shook her head.

"Nope, Ruby just wanted to sit front, isn't that right my little rubbles!" Yang answered, giving Ruby a little adorable voice as she patted her younger sister's head.

"Yaaaanngg!" Ruby hissed, making the blonde girl's arm retreat back to the steering wheel.

"And you didn't want to sit with me?" Weiss pouted, giving Ruby a taste of her own adorable puppy dog eyes as she whimpered slightly. Ruby turned around, holding her hands out as if to surrender.

"N-no! That's not it, I just wanted to sit in the passenger seat and get the first view of the cottage!" Ruby explained, making Weiss pout more as her whimpering increased. "Oh, don't do that Weiss! I'm Sowwy!"

"No you'we not!" Weiss returned with the same childish voice, the white rose couple's arguing drowning out through the vehicle. Blake sighed as she rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"This is gonna be one long car ride." The cat faunus complained, turning to face the closest window as she perched her arm and chin in place, and watching the beautiful scenery that was in Patch.

 _One hour later._

To Blake's fortune, the cat faunus surprisingly fell asleep, waking up just as they were arriving at the destination. Her eyes glimmered at the beautiful lake and house that sat on the small hill. Yang finally pulled into the driveway of the cabin. The four girls jumped out of the car all at the same time, taking in the breathtaking scenery and the warm, comforting cottage that they were gonna be staying at for the weekend.

Yang inhaled a large breath of air, exhaling loudly as she smiled. "This is it, lets start unpacking!" Yang said. Weiss pulled the handle on the back hatch to the van, pouring out all of their luggage and other stuff as the heiress jumped out of the way. "Okay, rephrase. Lets start taking it to the house!"

With that, the two siblings took both their and their girlfriend's luggage, Blake opened the door for the two, holding it as the two sisters carried the bags into the cabin. The two put the bags down in the living room of the cottage home, both sisters smirking in delight at the old-fashioned house. It was a simple log cabin with electricity, running water and some modern electronics in it, the living room had a rather large L-shaped couch that overlooked both the amazing view of the lake out the window, and the fireplace on the far end of the wall.

"Hasn't changed at all, eh Ruby?" Yang said, turning to Ruby. The little girl was too awestruck to even respond. She stared at the view of the lake through the french doors and begun to walk, opening said doors to the feeling of a slight calm breeze blowing through. Ruby turned around and nodded.

"It's beautiful. It's just like when we were kids." Ruby finally responded, smiling. "Only better this time."

The blonde girl nodded as she picked up the bags again. "Come on, lets go put our luggage in our room's, I'll let you pick which room you want."

After finally putting away their luggage, the team changed into their swimwear. Ruby in a small dark red one-piece swimsuit with a small skirt stitched on and arm floaters, Weiss in a white bikini with a white rose design, Blake with a simple black one-piece and Yang in a bumblebee striped bikini. The four girls rushed to the lake, with Ruby and Yang jumping in first, followed by Weiss.

"Come on Blake, the water's nice!" Yang said after returning to the surface. Blake tested her proclamations, dipping her toe in. The blonde proved right as it was a nice warmish temperature in the lake. After finally coming to conclusion she slowly got into the water, taking off her bow and putting it with her towel. The couple synced up as Yang splashed the brunette with water, receiving a hiss from said girl.

Weiss watched the couple as they splashed each other, reminding her of her love. The white haired girl turned her head to find not her girlfriend in sight though.

"Ruby? Ruuuby?" Weiss called out, twirling around in search of a sign of her dolt. All of a sudden, she felt a movement in the water, thinking the girl was trying to trick the heiress. Weiss quickly pounced as she grabbed something.

"Gotcha!-?" Weiss exclaimed, pulling up the item to find it was only a branch. The heiress was starting to get worried as she started looking frantically. Something close caught her attention. Not Ruby or a clue, but something terrifying.

A shark fin.

Weiss jumped up in the air, re-submerging as she sped swam to shore. Once there she took a few panicked breaths as she turned around and pointed at the fin, yelling "Shark! SHARK!"

The bumblebee couple turned around at the noise, finding the source to be Weiss. Blake took cover behind her blonde girlfriend, whilst Yang burst out laughing, holding her stomach underwater as her chuckling increased.

"What's so funny?! There's a Shark!" Weiss exclaimed, waving for them to come to her.

"Weiss..." Yang tried to speak, forcing herself to calm down a bit. "*hehe* Sharks don't live in lakes! Not in this water anyways!" She stated, wiping away a tear in her eye.

All of a sudden, the 'shark' submerged from the water, revealing none other than Ruby with a shark fin hat on her and goggles. She let out a giggle and smirk, but the look on Weiss' face showed embarrassment followed by rage.

"YOU DUNCE!" The white clad girl shouted as she ran down the docks, diving into the water as she began paddling for the little redhead. Ruby jumped as she swam away from the raging heiress, though not getting far with her floaters on her as she tried to dog paddle away.

"Weiss! Let's not be hasty!"

"Look who's scared now! I will get you Ruby Rose!"

"WEIISSS!

* * *

 _Half an hour later._

After the little escapade with the 'shark', the four girls got out of the water, now drying in the sun. Yang helped Blake dry her cat ears as she delicately swabbed them with Q-tip's, while Ruby helped Weiss dry off as well. After the two were finished the couple's switched spots with their girlfriend's, soon finishing as well. Well, Ruby at least, Yang's was a little harder to dry. Anyways. Before they knew it, it was already getting dark. The four girls got dressed in casual clothes again and started to get dinner ready. Yang decided to make some barbecued steaks and burgers, along with a salad they already made ahead of time. Ruby set the picnic table with plastic cutlery and paper plates. Weiss put out pitchers of juice and other drinks, though alcohol was already being drunken by non other than the cook. And Blake, well.. she read, while drinking a mixer.

After dinner the four girls sat in the patio seats in front of the campfire. Enjoying the sunset as the day ended. The peace was disrupted though by Yang zooming back to the cabin, returning with a few firecrackers and a bunch of fireworks, along with some sparklers. She placed the fireworks in the ground, but returned to the campfire as the blonde gave Blake something.

"Here Blake, I know you don't like fireworks that much." Yang said, giving Blake two pairs of earplugs. Blake took the plugs as she placed them in both sets of ears.

"Thanks Yang," Said Blake. "Go ahead and light those puppy's."

Yang nodded her head and proceeded with the firework's. She pulled out a lighter and flicked it, bringing the flame to the rounded fuses as she held them together. The fuses finally lit and began to burn their way down to each individual firecracker in sync. Yang stepped back a few feet as the fuses finally reached the fireworks, sending them flying with a loud noise as they blew up in the sky.

The four girls watched in awe as each little firecracker did its assigned job and colour. Displays of red, orange, yellow, blue, purple, and white illuminated the sky in an array of different shapes and patterns.

Ruby turned her head to Weiss, who was watching the show in awe. Her eyes glimmered in the light of the show as she smiled. The redhead scooted closer to her as she wrapped her arms around Weiss', resting her head on the heiress' shoulder. Weiss turned her head and kissed the redhead that resided on her arm, the two girls watched the display in bliss as the night crept up on them.

After the fireworks display, Yang lit some sparklers. Weiss and Ruby got up, playing around with them as they twirled and danced in the moonlight. But Blake just sat there as she watched the burning sparkler in Yang's grasp, watching it twinkle before her, she was in a trance from the fascinating light.

"Does the kitty want the light?" Yang asked in a childish tone, though Blake was too dazed by the shining light before her.

"oooohhh... Shiny..." Blake murmered. She tried to grab the light, but Yang pulled the sparkler back before she could.

"Come on kitty, come get the light!" Yang lured her kitty cat in, Blake got up, but stopped as she tried to control her instinct.

"No... must.. resist..." Blake tried, holding herself in place. Yang twirled the sparkler around in the air, bringing it closer to the brunette as she spun it around in the air. Finally, the cat faunus broke as she jumped for it, Yang played with her raven haired girlfriend as she tried to grab the sparkler. After a few minutes it finally burned out, leaving nothing but smoke as the two stood in the dark, illuminated slightly by the fire.

"Yang." Blake said, Yang gulped as she awaited a couple scratches for toying with the faunus' instinct's.

"Y-yes." Yang answered sheepishly.

"Do you have another one?"

"I-I'msorrypleasedon't... Wait, what?" Yang pleaded, ending in confusion.

"Do you have another one of those sparkly stick things?" Blake repeated.

"Uh. Yeah, actually." Yang answered. She pulled out another sparkler and lit the end of it, soon igniting another bright and vibrant light. Blake's eyes widened as she jumped on Yang, climbing on top of the downed blonde. Yang closed her eyes, expecting to be hurt. But after a moment or so of waiting she opened her one eye slightly to check the situation. Not able to see much of anything, she opened her eye more.

Right as the downed brute opened her eyes. The mischievous and playful cat faunus stole a kiss from her girlfriend, cupping her cheek to deepen it. Yang's eyes widened a bit from the sudden move, but mellowed out as she closed them once again and let the moment happen.

* * *

After the sparkler's were done the four girls sat at the campfire, admiring the beautiful night sky. Though the peace was, once again, disrupted by Yang holding a wooden box.

"Alright, what else do you have planned tonight?" Blake asked, curious as to what was in the box. Yang opened it up to reveal a glass jar inside.

"What, is that your special 'firefly catching' jar?" Ruby asked, earning a snicker from her white haired girlfriend.

"Funny. But what's inside is better than fireflies." Yang answered, twisting off the lid. The blonde pulled out a bag with a bunch of green buds from the jar, though it was barely noticeable from where Ruby and Weiss were sitting.

"Yang, is that what I think it is?" Blake asked, sniffing the air for the contents of it. "Yep, it is."

"What is it?" Weiss finally entered the conversation, trying to make out what was in the blonde's grasp.

"It's weed." Blake bluntly answered, to which Yang gave a thumbs up.

"Yang! Right in front of your sister?!" The heiress shouted. The brawler just shrugged.

"I don't see why not. She is old enough to understand, plus it's the weekend, we should enjoy ourselves, right?" Yang contemplated, making the white haired girl sigh.

Yang put the box and jar down and finally opened up the bag, pulling out the most beautiful green bud from the bag. She placed it on a small table beside her and rummaged through her pocket's, pulling out a few rolling papers. The brawler began to break the bud's off as she laid them on one of the joint papers. Once the paper had a nice enough amount she carefully rolled the paper over it, rolling it into a tight, rough, cylindrical tube. Yang licked the end of the paper and ended the roll as she pushed it down. She rolled one of the ends into a twist as she ripped a part of it off, rolling the other end into a more opened twist on the other side.

"There we are, there's yours." Yang said as she handed the finished joint to Weiss, who didn't move as she stared at it. The blonde pulled it away slightly. "Sorry, I don't wanna force you to of you don't want to."

"No,no, I just, don't know how to do it really." Weiss admitted, taking the joint. Yang showed her where to put the end in her mouth as she pulled out a lighter, lighting the end of the blunt as it started to smoke. Weiss took a small drag from it. She looked like she was about to cough, but held it back as she held the smoke in. Finally, she exhaled, coughing harshly.

"You wanna try some Ruby?" Yang asked, holding the lit blunt to her. Ruby hesitated, but soon took the roll as she repeated what Weiss did, only this time coughing after a couple seconds of holding it in.

"There you are. Weiss, this is yours, I'm gonna make another one." Yang said, handing the weed over to the heiress. Weiss sat back on the chair as she took another drag, holding it in as she handed the joint over to Ruby. The hooded girl took a drag as well, returning it to her girlfriend.

"They already know how to puff-puff-pass, and I didn't even need to tell them." Yang said to Blake as she started to roll another joint.

"Why didn't you offer me any?" Blake asked, making her girlfriend feel guilty.

"That one's theirs, this is ours," Yang answered, "just hold on, hold on, it's almost finished."

Finally, the second joint was finished. Yang gave it to Blake and picked up her lighter again, lighting the blunt for her raven haired girlfriend. Blake took a few quick drags from it, returning it to Yang, who took a longer drag than all of them. The blonde started to blow O's in the air as she exhaled, giving it back to Blake. The bumblebee couple wasn't as new to the god given plant as the other couple was. Yang being the party-er and Blake living with the white fang gave them more opportunity to it than the other two. But Ruby and Weiss were getting used to it as their coughing was less and less frequent.

With both joint's done they threw the roaches in the fire, laying back into their chairs as they watched the fire crackle. Weiss felt her girlfriend wrap her arms around her left arm, but kept to the peace.

"Weiss?" Ruby called to her, making Weiss turn her head.

"Yes love?"

"Do you have any..."

"Any.." Weiss stretched the question. Ruby thought about it for a moment, finally answering.

"Cookies?"

Yang snickered a bit. "Got the munchies now sis? Don't worry, I brought the cooler."

The blonde brawler got up and searched the bush behind them, coming back with a regular sized cooler. Yang opened it up, revealing snacks and other perishable item's for them.

"I separated the cooking foods with the snacks, so we can eat as much as we please." Yang said, though was hardly heard due to the three of them digging in to the food. The blonde sighed, rummaging through the cooler and pulling out a cherry cola. She sat back and drunk her pop as the other three teammates ate the snacks.

"These are sooo good." Ruby said, munching on Doritos and drinking cherry cola as well.

"True." Weiss agreed, grabbing a handful of them.

"Yang."

The blonde looked over to her baked girlfriend, who was standing next to her. "Yes hun?"

Blake didn't say anything. The brunette suddenly sat on Yang's lap and curled up in her arms. Yang didn't hesitate as she got comfy and wrapped her arms around her raven haired partner. The team watched the shattered moon and the stars above as they enjoyed each other's company, basking in their first summer break and celebrating Canada Day & Independence Day.

 _ **The end**_

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know that it isn't Independence day just yet, but I just wanted to include them as well, those who live in the US. I looked it up and stuff, and I know that it isn't until July 4th, so I'm a little early on celebrating it. But anyway. Also, I'm still looking for some good RWBY fanfics in general. freezerburn, monochrome, nuts and dolts, enabler even. fuck, anything. I just wanna read something new other than white rose, I'll even read bumblebee cuz I haven't read that in awhile. I like mostly every RWBY ship. But anyway, As always, stay tuned!**


	9. A Schn-easy Ride Up

**Heyo! Welcome back to another segment. I'm SO so sorry for the long wait. I've been helping my father build a small patio area, but the area had a slope so we had to build it up to make it level. We don't have the necessary tools like a small tractor so we had to manually bring the rocks from a trailer attached to an atv all the way to the site from a rock pile we have in our back property, put it in a wheelbarrow and dump it in a rock bed itself, all by hand btw. I lost count after 10 or 20 loads. But anyway,**

 **I wanna keep this short, I've been working on the writing and stuff for my first fanfic (TOTR), didn't change any of the plot or anything, but the way I written it made me disgusted in my own work. Like come on, I can and will do better than that. So I thought I should let ya know. Also, some of the parts from the first story did mention Ruby's mom, so I fixed it so she didn't speak of her mom's death yet. That's the only change in the plot, I just needed to fix it cuz it would fuck up what I wanted to do for the discovery. Also, my brother might be interested in my work. He's been asking me to read it and I said I would when I've finished editing, but tbh I don't think he'll like or understand it like I do. See, he's more of the type of guy to just watch Yang's tits bounce everytime she walks. I mean, I do too but I focus on the other shit that goes with it. He just cracks jokes about it and what not, he ain't as into it as I am, which is why I'm a little skeptical. We discussed what it was about and stuff and he accepts it, but I don't think he gets it to it's fullest resolution. Anywho, enough about my ramblings.**

 **Story Notes: Alright, so this is just an easy, fluffy chapter. Doesn't have much in it, except for explanations about Weiss' family and stuff. I wanted to get a bit of her family story out. Also I didn't want her father to be the asshole some people take him for in other fanfics. I also have to state that I am not trying to be racist or discriminate on the jews, it will make sense as you read. I just wanted the limo driver to have a western thug-ish type of persona, I'm not trying to be racist or anything. Last thing. Like I said before, this is written under Canadian standards. So when they describe the temperature it's in Celsius (C), that's what we do in Canada, for those who don't know. Anywho, Enjoy.**

* * *

 _(Weiss' POV)_

I watched as the snow danced and twirled outside my window of the airship. Ruby, still asleep, was now fully resting on my lap as I watched the white particals blow around in the air. I turned my attention back to the little redhead, who was snoring quietly as she grasped the end of my combat skirt. Ruby started to suck on the fabric for some odd reason, but I didn't mind. As long as the red clad girl was content I was too.

"I hope Winter likes you Ruby," I whispered as I stroked Ruby's head, fixing the little strands that fell upon her beautiful face. "She's a really nice lady, and I hope that you two get along."

I continued to course the crimsonette's hair as I watched the girl sleep soundly on my lap. I knew I'd have to get as much close time as I could before we landed. "I just hope my family likes you, and they accept you as my girlfriend."

I kissed Ruby on the cheek, then the forehead afterward, sitting back up straight as I soon closed my eyes, ready to sleep.

"I love you Ruby."

* * *

 _About 11:30 a.m._

I awoke just as the airship dock's were starting to become visible to everyone, shaking Ruby to wake up. The little girl started to stir, flipping around as she now faced me in my lap. I smirked as I fixed a few strands of hair from her face, cupping her cheek with my hand.

"Good afternoon sleepyhead, we're here." I greeted, giving the redhead a quick peck on the lips as she arose from my lap. Ruby looked out the window, finding nothing but white.

"Weiss, I don't see anything. How do you know we're at Atlas?" Ruby questioned. Suddenly the clouds all dispersed and the ship was closing in on the circular metal platforms. Ruby gave an understanding face as she sat back down next to me.

"Now, follow my lead, keep as close as you can, and if you feel a hand touch you innapropriately nudge me. Got it?" I instructed the girl. Ruby gave me a weird look.

"Wait, is that going to happen when we're around Atlas?" The redhead asked, a small look of worry to her.

"No, nothing like that's gonna happen, but in case it does, you know what to do." I answered. Ruby nodded as I got out of my seat and grabbed both our luggages, handing the scythe wielder hers and sitting down with mine in my lap.

As soon as the airship landed, all of the people started to get up, grabbing their luggage as they all seemed to cram into a large clutter as they made their ways out the ship. Ruby was about to stand, but I grabbed her arm just before she could rise.

"Just hold on, we're not in a rush like they are," I spoke, "wait for the clutter to die down a bit, I'll say when it's good."

"Alright." Ruby complied, sitting back down in her seat as we watched the passengers all leave in clutters of 4 and 5. Soon the crowd died down a bit and I gave Ruby the nod as we both got up and left the ship, free of hastle.

"So, how exactly are we gonna get to your sister's place?" Ruby asked. I pointed to a large white limousine with the schnee company logo, the white snowflake on it.

"That's our ride." I said as we both walked up to the limo. An african-american man with a white suit, light blue tie and a black fedora with a white stripe sat on the hood of the limo. He had a buzz cut and seemed rather slimming, almost not fitting in the suit. He took a puff of his cigarette as he hummed the beat of a song. The man noticed us walking up and discarded his cigarette as he exhaled the substance, standing up straight.

"Ladies, would you happen to know of a girl in white who happened to be the heiress of the Schnee dust company? She was supposed to be here and I haven't seen her in a long time." The man asked.

"As a matter a fact, I think I did. But I heard she was waiting for a helicopter to pick her up." I answered, giving a proper-like manner.

"Well, can you point me in the direction of her? I can't seem to find her anywhere!" The man returned, looking around behind us as he used his hand to shade himself from the snow. After a couple seconds we both started laughing as he held out his arms, ending the facade. I gave him a hug, returning back to Ruby afterwards.

"It's good to see ya Weiss! How you been girl?" The man asked in a sort of slang.

"I'm good Mark, how've you been?" Weiss replied.

"Just fine, just fine. Been driving all around, picking up supplies and stuff for your arrival all morning," Mark answered, turning his gaze to The redhead. "Is this your friend Winter was talking about?"

"It is. Ruby, this is Markus. He was my driver to school and my best friend, my sister hired him as her own personal driver and assistant from my father," I introduced.

"It's nice to meet you Markus." Ruby said, giving Mark a content smile as they both shook hands.

"Please girl, just call me Mark. It's nice to meet you too." Mark returned, giving Ruby a hearty smile and a little snicker as they shook.

"Mark, this is Ruby. She's my team's leader and my partner,"

"What? You didn't get team leader?" Mark asked, surprised. I shook my head.

"No, but I'm content with being the leader's partner-in-crime. Besides, she's good at her role, and I'm certain she is doing a better job at being the team's leader than I would've been."

"Well, I'm happy for ya, both of you girls actually," Mark stated. "It's hard tackling responsibilities like that alone, at least you got each other to work with in battles and stuff."

I smiled. "Thanks Mark."

Mark returned the smile as he grabbed our bags, putting them in the trunk of the limousine. "So Weiss, you find anyone of interest to ya? You know, someone you like?" He asked, "You know, boyfriend, crush..."

"Actually, you're looking at her before you." I stated, giving Ruby a nod as she understood. The man look back to us both, to which we were now holding hands.

"You mean you datin' little mis red hood right here?" Markus questioned, a surprised, but not disgusted tone evident in his voice.

"Yes. Ruby is also my girlfriend." I answered. Mark had a slightly dumbfounded look to his face.

"Well shit, I mean damn. Didn't think you swung that way. Never thought you were that type of person," Markus admitted. "But hey, guess love is still love. Like my mama always said, 'everybody got a different look at love, don't make a difference unless it about you.'"

"True, true." I answered, giving him a relieved grin. Mark opened the door, allowing us both in as he shut the door and got in the driver's seat. He started up the limo, putting it in drive just soon after.

* * *

"So, how long you two been together?" Mark asked, turning at the intersection.

"About a couple months now. We started dating in the summer." I answered.

"What ya think MJ?" Mark asked, to which a dog barked in the front seat.

"What, you brought MJ?!" I said excitedly.

"Sure did girl. M was so excited when he heard you was coming down for a visit, so I brung him along too." Mark answered, opening the window that separated the two sections of the limo fully.

"Wait, who's MJ?" Ruby asked, confused.

"MJ, go see Weiss!" Mark comanded. Just as he did, a medium sized pug-like dog jumped over the window, running up to me as fast as it could.

"MJ!" I screamed in glee as it jumped on my lap, licking my face uncontrollably.

"MJ's a dog?" Ruby concluded, to which I nodded.

"Yeah. This is Markus Jr, also goes by Mini J, Mark J, Mr. J, Michael Jackson, and of course, MJ," I answered, "He's a bulldog-pug mix, and a big attention whore."

The pug walked over to Ruby, sniffing her uncontrollably as well. The red hooded girl held her hand out, allowing him to sniff her hand.

"Hey there," Ruby greeted as she pet the overexcited bulldog mix. MJ started licking the little red girl, making said girl laugh as she played with the dog.

"So Weiss, have you told Winter and ya fam about your gf?" Mark spoke again. It took a moment to figure out what he said, but I soon understood his slang.

"No, not yet. But I wanted to accomplish that through the weekend. Another one of the reasons I decided to come up to visit," I answered.

"What was the other reason?"

"This little dolt right here." I stated, pinching Ruby's cheek's as the hooded warrior whined for release. I let go of the girl and started to pat her head. "She was eager to meet my family, and wanted to see the city of Atlas for the first time."

"Girl. No offense, but there ain't much to see here. I could sum it up in one sentence; boring buildings, busy streets and rich, annoying people. Exemption of Weiss over here." Mark summarized, stopping at a red light.

"Oh come on, there's gotta be at least some interesting things about this place. I mean, like what about that?" Ruby asked, pointing at a building with sculptures that winded and twisted around in fancy directions in front of it.

"That's Abraham Park. Made entirely out of concrete on the outside and fake grass inside. Also home to the famous dog show that happens once a year, even though the grass is always there and the building's insulated and heated." Markus toured.

"Alright, what about that?" Ruby pointed to a winter-like garden with an ice-statue of some goddess in the middle.

"That is Atlas' world famous FrostRidge Garden. The statue in the middle is the winter maiden, made entirely out of ice. A tribute to her from Atlas."

"Wait, how does the statue stay like that all year? Wouldn't it melt?" Ruby questioned. I shook my head.

"The area, the mountains and the tundra-like climate keep this place refrigerated almost all the time. The warmest this place ever gets is, maybe 5 to 10 below."

"What?!" Ruby exclaimed, awestruck at the climate of Atlas.

"Yeah, the only time it was actually 'warm', was like 5 or 6 years ago. It went all the way up to 1 degree!" I stated. "Hey Mark, remember that day?"

"Oh yeah, I remember that. Wore shorts the whole week, 'til the bitch dropped again." Mark added.

"Jeez, how do people live and work here? I would be miserable all the time!" Ruby admitted.

"You basically answered your question right there. The people here are rich, miserable assholes who only care about money. Kids are rare and dicks as well, there's only a few schools here, even the hunter's academy doubles as the military base. This place is like a jewish city, robbing and hoarding the cash for their own gain while everybody suffers." I summed up.

"My mother included."

Ruby looked at me, puzzled. "Your family too?"

"Kind of. My mom and dad didn't want to end up like the rest of the Atlesian's here, they wanted to be different for me and my sister. So they bonded with us and tried their best to be at least decent parents. But the company took a rise in clients and business started booming. Soon we saw them less and less everyday, they hired a nanny to support us while they were gone, business trips took them away for weeks. Whenever we saw them, they were always working, and rarely, when they had free time they were too tired to do anything."

Ruby looked at me with sympathy. "I'm sorry Weiss, I never knew."

I gave the redhead a comforting grin. "But fortunately my dad saw what was happening. He saw that he was beginning to turn like the rest of Atlas, so he took action. He took frequent vacations to spend time with us, he often did his work at home so that he could watch us and take us to rehearsals and stuff, and he gave us the things we always wanted. My mom on the other hand, thought that business was more important than us. She sought to make the company better, with or without my dad. So he sold a part of the company over to her, giving them equal ownership of the dust company, gave her the reigns whilst he took care of us. He still works there, but he has more slack to see us more often."

"Sounds pretty complicated." Ruby admitted, unsure of the right word for it.

"Oh, but it gets better. My mom was upset at us. Apparently we stole my father away from, get this, not only the business, but she herself. And she deemed us unworthy of my father. He fought back at her, this led to that, and they filed for a divorce. Soon they were under a war of custody over us. It was easily won by my dad, but during the time it was chaos. Winter and I decided it was too hostile for us to live their during the time, so we called and stayed at my uncle's house, who also happens to be the general in the Atlesian military."

Ruby gasped. "Wait a minute, you mean General Ironwood is your uncle?!" She exclaimed.

I nodded my head. "Mhm. Long story short, my family's been under turmoil for over 15 years. My mom and dad still work at the company, but they are nothing more than business partners. And my sister enrolled in the Atlesian military to aid my uncle and keep a bond between my dad and Ironwood."

Ruby rubbed her head. "Man, that must be hard to live with. It's certainly hard to... is comprehend the right word?"

I nodded. "And it was. For years I was in therapy and beating myself to the core in Atlas academy. Until I understood that everything that happened wasn't because of me or Winter, we only brought out the person within my parents. So I decided to leave it all to settle down, and I enrolled at Beacon, in hopes that the issues resolved itself."

"So that's why you were a little hesitant coming here," Ruby pieced together. "I-I'm so sorry Weiss. I shouldn't have pressured you into coming to Atlas."

The red hooded warrior looked down in guilt, to which I raised her head and looked her straight in the eyes. "Ruby, you didn't pressure me into this. If I truly didn't feel comfortable coming down here to visit them, I would've said something. I'm positive that the tide has calmed and things are back to normal now, at least better than it was before. I too wanted to visit Atlas, despite the harshness of the city, I came to see my sister again, and my dad. And I want to show them what a beautiful, smart and truly astounding girlfriend I have, and show them how much she has changed me for the better. I want them to see that I have found someone I love deeply, and that I would do anything for her."

Ruby smirked. "Really?" She asked.

I smiled. "Of course."

I pulled Ruby closer to me, wrapping my arms around her shoulders as we kissed. A warm, deep sensation stirring within me as we repositioned. Time seemed to slow down a bit and the world stopped around me as I kissed the redhead passionately, the girl returning the embrace with the same amount of might in her. Ruby begun to moan softly, a strand of saliva rolled down her neck as we continued to kiss. The redhead took it a step further and tapped my lips with her tongue, opening my mouth as we deepened the kiss.

' _My body's numb, I don't mind though. As long as I'm with Ruby._ '

"Damn, that's hot." Mark murmered. After a few more minutes of passionate kissing we separated, leaving a string of saliva that attached to our lips as we panted lightly. I gave Ruby a smirk, making the redhead mimic my expression. We sat back straight, though entwined in one another. Ruby laid her head down on my shoulder as the ride continued.

* * *

"So Ruby, there's some things we need to discuss, before we get to my sister's house." I said, breaking the silence.

"Of course, what's up?" The redhead replied enthusiastically.

"We need to make some ground rules, for our relationship. I don't want you to be upset or anything, but until I talk to my sister about you and I together we need to, pretend like we are just friends." I instructed. "That also implies for my father."

Ruby nodded. "I understand. You don't have to be sensitive on the topic Weiss." Ruby assured.

"Really? You're okay with us being separated just a little longer?" I asked.

The crimsonette nodded. "I survived the 3 week separation, I can wait a couple more days," Ruby weighed. "You don't have to worry Weiss. Approach this how you wish, I will support you however it turns out."

I smiled. "You're the best, you know that?"

Ruby smirked. "I know. I'm your dolt, remember?"

I chuckled.

"You are my dolt."

Soon the limousine pulled up to a large white mansion with a balcony that overlooked the front driveway. The limo pulled around, stopping in front of the house. Standing outside was a tall white woman, though features weren't very visible through the window. I looked over to Ruby.

"You ready?" I asked, The young girl nodded.

"Well, time to meet my sister."

 **Aaaaannndd, cliffhanger. I promise to make the next chapter for this fanfic a lot sooner, so you don't have to wait so long. As well, I kinda want to explain Ironwood in the family tree. I thought that Weiss' mom's maiden name would be Ironwood, making the general Mr. Schnee's brother-in-law. Just to explain the situation. Also, I wanna recommend my other fanfic, _RWBY: The Red Fox and The Snow Bunny_. It's a little piece I wanted to make as a small segment in Ruby's dreams, but I got reviews asking for a story about them. So yeah, a little bit about how it started. Ruby is a two-tailed red fox faunus girl who has lived under the supervision of Yang almost all her life. Yang, having been the role model and caring step-sister, is worried about her faunus sibling in the future when she leaves for Beacon academy. The fox faunus meets a white haired bunny faunus by the name of Weiss. By meet, I mean the redheaded dolt ran into her in a rush to school one day. What will Ruby do without her caring sister? Will she be able to woo Beacon's headmaster? Will Weiss join her? Find out in the future.**

 **Stay Tuned! XD**


	10. Just Visiting

**Hey! Welcome back to another chapter of _RWBY: Thorns of a White Rose_. Just a quick thank-you to all my readers. As I speak this story has 8,717 views, 117 follows and 65 favourites. I know a lot of you hated the work at the start, so I thank all of you who stuck to it to today. And I also appreciate all the nice comments and stuff that you've left. It feels nice to hear from you guys, especially those like Ashley, Zoroark, Topaz, RedLikeRuby, KibaPT, jaden4321 (whom I haven't heard from in awhile), Rapter267, and many, many, MANY. More of you. It feels good to read your reviews and comments. Though I can't say I feel like I've been putting out 100% good work, you guys remind me that 'you want more' and 'this is awesome' and stuff like that. So sincerely, from a (apparently) good fanfiction writer,**

 _ **DStone**_

 **One more thing before you read, I've been conversating some more with Topaz Smith and we've been considering doing a collab work. Details will be in the end of this chapter for those interested, but without further ado, here's chapter 9.**

 _(Ruby's POV)_

Markus exited the limousine, walking around to the other side of the vehicle as he opened the car door. Weiss left the comfort of the luxurious automobile first, doing a quick dust-off to straighten her dress. I followed the heiress out, stretching a bit as I did a few quick leg warm-ups and followed Weiss to the person awaiting at the front walkway, whom I assumed was Weiss' sister.

The woman was, what's a good word... astounding. Her figure was nicely toned. Not too much as to consider her overweight or chubby, but just enough to give her a sexy hourglass body, 'plump' if you would. It was also evident that her body was muscular as well, noting a slight bulge in her biceps as well as her thighs and calves. The woman was a pale white, similar to Weiss' complexion. Also noticing similarity in their ivory coloured hair.

"Ah, Weiss. It is good to finally see you after a whole year has passed." The woman greeted. Weiss gave her sister a content smile, embracing one-another in a warming hug. Despite their semblances and personalities, they were still warm-hearted beings who could love. And that embrace was a good example.

"It's good to see you too sister. I've missed you." Weiss greeted her eldest, breaking the hug finally as she gazed at the woman.

The older white haired lady turned her gaze towards me. "And this must be your team's leader, Rubin Rose right?"

"Um, actually it's Ruby," I corrected, offering my hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"Ah, dreadfully sorry, I've been busy with arrangements and my schedule in order to free up some time for my beloved." The eldest responded, gesturing towards Weiss. "My name is Winter Evangeline Schnee. But you can just call me Winter."

Winter grabbed my hand in a poetic manner as she lifted it towards her. "It is an honour to have such a pulchritudinous lady such as yourself here at my manor." The white haired woman greeted, kissing the back of my hand as she gazed at me. Her eyes matched those of Weiss', except for a slightly darker tinge than the latter's, giving them a rather stunning hue that seemed to leave me speechless. The older Schnee smirked at the sight of my stunned behaviour, keeping a hold on my hand as we stared at each other.

' _Wait. Is Winter Schnee, the former sister of Weiss Schnee, who also is my girlfriend... hitting on me?!'_

Weiss walked up and placed her hand on my shoulder, intruding on the prolonged glance as we both returned back to society.

"*Ahem* Anyway, let's get you two inside where it's more hospitable." Winter stated as she cleared her throat, giving Mark a couple lien bills as he did a salute and got back into the limousine. We strolled down the walkway to her large white mansion as the owner of said manor followed. The doors opened to the large house as we approached them, signalling us to enter the Schnee residence.

The entrance was big, as large as Beacon's classrooms. The whole place was decorated with fancy african wood walls and checkered tile floors, along with 2 royal purple banisters with the SDC logo that hung from the ceiling of the farthest wall and a stone fireplace in the middle that burned a log or two to tie it all in. The place was amazing, unlike anything I've ever seen before.

"Woooow..." I spoke in an awestruck tone, taking in every spec of the room I was in. Weiss and Winter both smirked as the latter pressed on through the house. The door closed behind us as the ivory haired woman turned around and peered at the two of us with the most content of smiles.

"This is nothing compared to the other rooms Ruby. Come now, don't be shy." Winter instructed as she pressed on. I quickened my pace to catch up with the older Schnee, with Weiss not too far behind. The eldest opened up a set of large doors from the left side of the fireplace, walking in to another large room. Inside said room was a large living space with large foreign couches and a 3D OLED TV of matching size in the majority of the room, starting at the corner beside us. To the left corner of the wall was a small wooden dining table near a window, housing a frilled white tablecloth atop as well as a few decorative wood chairs around it. The remainder of the room was simple walkspace into the next rooms beside us.

"This is the living room/small dining room. I sit here every morning and look out at the beautiful morning sky before I set off to work." Winter toured, gesturing towards the dining room like a gameshow woman showing off the prize.

"Oh yeah, I remember this place now. I used to live here for a few years before I went to Beacon," Weiss informed me, leaning against the back of the couch. "Well I already know the place, I'm gonna go freshen up. Winter, would it be alright if I used your shower?"

"Of course hun," Winter replied in a comforting manner, "you can use the ensuite in my room if you like."

"Thank you Winter, I'll see you two in an hour or so." Weiss did a small bow, going back to the entrance of the house.

* * *

I watched as my ivory haired girlfriend left our small group. Winter laid her hand on my shoulder, snapping me back to the topic at hand. "Shall we continue?" Winter advised as she grabbed my hand. "This way."

I felt a little fluttered that the woman before me was so... comfortable around me. Her touch was warm and inviting, her complexion calm and sincere. For some reason my heart felt like she was someone important to me, not in a romantic way, but in a way that could comfort me in any situation. Like a sister I've always wanted, a _mother_ even.

Winter opened a new set of doors from the right side of the room. Beyond the door was a big gourmet kitchen with white cupboards and a large dark wood island. The kitchen housed many top-of-the-line quality appliances, beside the kitchen area were larger appliances that looked to be used in restaurants and bakeries. "This is the main kitchen, used for most of the cooking. My housekeeper's made some fresh cookies earlier today, they should be rea-"

"Cookies..." I murmured, standing in front of the large kitchen ovens as I glanced in it. Inside the oven housed 2 trays worth of white-chocolate chip cookies. My mouth started to water as I watched the cookies bake, the world around me going to a blur as I stared at the crisp disks being cooked. The white haired woman giggled a bit as she grasped my shoulders, making me return to reality.

"You like cookies too I assume?" Winter asked, curious to my fixation. I nodded excitedly.

"Like em, I love em! They're like little heartwarming gifts that you can eat. And the best part is there's a variety of cookie, from chocolate chip to shortbread to even the healthier ones with the vegetables in 'em," I exclaimed, turning to the older woman behind me. Upon remembering where I was located, I returned to a more behaved manor, looking down in embarassment. "S-sorry. I know, I'm childish."

The older Schnee laughed, cupping her mouth with her hand to contain herself. She waved the gesture away, rubbing my head. "It's alright Ruby. You don't need to feel like you need to be formal here. I may act mature and strict, but even _I_ have a relaxed, open side. Especially for my sister and friends."

I looked up to the woman before me, surprised by her nature. Weiss was so stuck-up, so tight up the... I think you get what I mean. The heiress was harsh and self-centered before I helped her. But the heiress' older sister, whom has trained at Atlas and joined their military, later becoming a specialist for said military, was almost the complete opposite from her younger sibling. She was supposedly formal and emotionless in society, but was calm and relaxed around people she knew and trusted. It amazed me, not because I expected someone like her to be uptight and arrogant, but because I thought that she would be unforgiving and disapproving of someone like me and Weiss, lesbian. But now that the curtain has been pulled away and the true Schnee sibling has been revealed, I have a little more confidence that she will prove otherwise.

Winter coursed her hand from my head down to my cheek, cupping it gently as she smirked a bit before turning back to the baked goods. "I don't know if Weiss ever told you, but she has a sweet tooth for cookies, especially those specific kind," The older Schnee admitted, finally moving her hand from my cheek back to my shoulder as she watched the cookies. "I remember when we were little, our father used to come home with the cookie dough and a bag of white chocolate bars. He'd let us put the dough on the baking trays as he crushed up the chocolate, letting us place them in it. Weiss would watch impatiently as the cookies baked, complaining that it took too long. But after the wait was over she'd have this smile on her face that I always looked forward to."

"Wow, I didn't know, she always eats heathy and expensive foods back at Beacon." I stated.

"That's thanks to our repulsive unpleasant _mistvieh_ mother, whose influence and harsh dicipline turned Weiss into a puppet-turned-ragdoll for her own pleasure. She was cruel to my poor sister, and that scar on her eye is a good example."

"You mean the one on Weiss' left eye?" I asked, curious as to the story behind it. "I don't want to protrude on her past behind her back, but I thought that scar was because of a training mishap."

Winter sighed, hinting she did not want to talk about the matter. "It was because of a training mistake, but it could've easily been avoided," The white haired woman turned back around, facing me as she rested her hands on my shoulder's. "I know you want to hear the truth, but I am not dignified to tell you a rather personal event about Weiss' life without her consent. Just know that the matter has been resolved and I assure you Weiss will tell you when she feels comfortable enough about it."

I nodded my head, acceptive of the situation. "Okay." I assured the woman. Said woman smiled as she took my hand again.

"Well then, we still haven't even seen upstairs yet. Let's proceed." The alabaster woman continued as she dragged me to the next room.

 _About an hour later._

The tour concluded upstairs, showing me the different rooms and other house utilities there was. The place was massive. The mansion had a different assortment of bedrooms, bathrooms, dining rooms, mini kitchen areas, a 'relaxation' room comprised of spas and yoga mats and shit, storage rooms, training areas, a couple libraries, a skating rink, and a giant pool in the back of the manor. After the tour was finished, we trotted down the hallways of the 2nd floor, running into Weiss as she left Winter's master bedroom (to which was the only room they didn't see). Though the heiress was a little flustered it appeared, and a strange scent permeated from her clothing, even though she was clean and showered. The two of us noticed the odd hint's as we walked up towards the heiress.

"Hey Weiss!" I greeted the ivory haired woman as we neared her, making the heiress jump as she noticed us.

"Oh, hey Ruby, Winter. You finished with the tour?" The younger Schnee asked. Winter nodded as she crossed her arms.

"It appears I'm not the only one who's 'finished' something. Found my toys I believe?" The eldest asked, earning a glow of red from the heiress.

"Winter!" Weiss shouted, gesturing to me.

"Toys... wait, you have a dog too!" I exclaimed, listening in for animal noises. "You must have like a few then right?!"

Winter laughed loudly and Weiss face palmed as I searched for the felines, soon running up to the door to try and listen in. "Ruby, THERE'S NO DOGS!" The heiress shouted.

"Oh, then you have a cat then?! There's got to be a pet!" I assumed, turning my attention to Winter. "You have a pet right?"

Winter smirked. "I do actually, but it's at my dad's house." She answered, making me smile brightly upon the mention of the pet.

Winter motioned us to follow her, to which we both complied as Weiss and I followed the eldest downstairs to the largest dining room in the building. Winter sat at the end of the table, with the white haired girl and I beside the eldest Schnee to the right. Soon waiters and waitresses brought out an assortment of different foods as they placed it on the table, along with our plates and cutlery. The feast commenced as Weiss and I dug into the food rather quick, sparks and crumbs of food flying as we scoffed down the food in an animated fast pace. Meanwhile Winter calmly placed down a small salad on her plate, along with a couple hot sandwiches and a cookie. She dug into her food elegantly as she took a bite out of the toasted sandwich, wiping off a couple crumbs from her face.

"Thrs rs MUMAZNG!" I exclaimed with my cheeks full of food, looking almost like a chipmunk in a sense.

"Hungry are we?" Winter asked as she took a sip of her drink. Weiss and I simply nodded.

"We forgot to eat breakfast because this little dolt didn't want to wake up." Weiss said after swallowing the food in her mouth, pinching my cheek.

"Ehr er!" I exclaimed, trying to eat as she continued to hold onto my face. Soon she let go and took a drink of her iced tea.

"So you didn't bother to get food either? You know your needs don't revolve around her," Winter stated, "No offense sweetheart."

"None Taken." I finally said with an empty mouth, taking a bite out of a cookie.

"W-well, Ruby doesn't like to be left alone, she has bad anxiety," Weiss responded, "the girl's a total wreck without someone with her. Even has to have someone near the door when she goes to the washroom."

"Wert, whrt?" I asked with a mouthful of cookie, washing it down with a glass of milk.

"Really? Well if it's that bad then she can stay in my bed tonight." Winter suggested.

"That's a good id-, hey wait a sec! I was gonna say she has to sleep in my room tonight," Weiss returned, clearly hinting on the eldest's motives. "I'll pull out a futon and she can sleep there."

The older Schnee sibling nodded in acceptance to the sleeping arrangement. Soon later a couple waitresses came out with a variety of hot beverages, along with a cup for each of us as they offered the drinks. Winter got a cup of tea, Weiss a coffee and I a hot chocolate. The three of us sat in the peace of the dining room as we enjoyed our drinks.

"So Weiss, Ruby," Winter said, ending the silence as she tucked in her chair and propped up her elbows, interlocking her hands together loosely as she fixated her view to us. "Is there anything you'd like to do today? Er rather, would you two like to go anywhere at all in Atlas while the day's still somewhat good?"

Weiss thought about it for a moment, thinking about the possible desires. "Not really, I've done my shopping, I'm pretty content with my wardrobe, and there isn't really much else. What about you Ruby?"

I fidgeted a bit in my seat, unsure of the answer. "W-well... there was a movie I wanted to watch that's in theatres..."

"Which one is it hun?" Winter asked, awaiting my answer. I tried to remember the name of the movie, but I just couldn't.

"I-I... can't remember..." I said in shame, feeling a sense of rudeness and guilt wave over me.

"Wait, are you talking about that new one? TMNT?" Weiss asked me, which I nodded.

"Yeah, that's it!" I exclaimed in excitement.

"You know what new movies are out? I've never seen you take much interest in televised enterainment before." Winter questioned, to which Weiss nodded.

"Well, Ruby likes to go out to the movies and other conventions. And the rest of the team goes out sometimes. It would be cold to just sit in my room and work all the time." Weiss proclaimed, much to her sisters surprise.

"Really? 'Cause if I asked you before you'd say that 'A team's just a team, whatever else they are is not of importance to me.'."

"That was before. I never liked my previous team," Weiss stated. "And I never will. The team I have now though is a team I have come to honour, more than anything else. And I stand proud and a changed woman because of it."

I sat in the middle of the conversation, contemplating whether or not I should ask yet another personal question or leave it be for another time. Feeling the first was appropriate, I finally intervened.

"Wait, you were already in a team?"

Weiss nodded. "But the people here are assholes. Rude, annoying, self-centered dicks. Including my team and a few others from Atlas. It's like no one knows how to be cooperative here. My team always got into fights with each other, often leading us to missions that involved trying to work together. Of course that never worked so the headmaster decided that those without the will to be 'team efficient' were labelled as henchmen, bootlickers, beating bags whilst the more cooperative teams rode to the top. That made me mad, not because I was merely being stepped on, but because no matter what we did we could never come to terms. So I gave up with them, I sent an application to go here, with references from my sister's company, got accepted into Beacon, and left them to deal with their own matters."

"Wow, that must've been hard on you." I answered, laying my hand on the heiress'.

"Not really. When you've come to realize that you are going nowhere with something, it gives you a lot more initiative to try something new. And I think. No, I _know_ that team RWBY is my home, my second family, and my new life." Weiss admitted, giving me a content smirk.

Winter witnessed the whole situation before her, noting how close and how comfortable Weiss was letting me hold her hand. She simply sat back in her chair, observing how easy it was to calm the heiress than when she was younger. Curiousity peaked her when Weiss went from frustratedly mad to calm and relaxed in no-time flat, all because of one gesture from me. Soon though Weiss and I returned back to society as I fidgeted a bit in my seat, letting go of Weiss' hand. Though I could see she was slightly saddened that it had to end, she quickly turned her gaze back to Winter, who now was looking through her scroll, pretending she didn't see the event before her.

* * *

 _After the movie (Weiss' POV)._

The credits rolled down the screen as the three of us got up and made for the exit. Ruby seemed really happy after watching the movie, a content smirk from cheekbone to cheekbone as she hummed in bliss, making me smile as well.

' _That girl. She has no idea what I'd do just to see her smile, she certainly has made an impact in my life._ ' I thought as I watched her skip and twirl ahead of us as we walked to the exit of the theatre. "Ruby, don't go too far!"

"Okay!" The crimsonette responded contently. I also noticed a small smirk on my sister's face as she watched the little red hood be so elegant, making me wonder.

' _Winter, I have a feeling you see Ruby kinda the same way I do. That can be both good and bad for me. I need to make sure she gets a hint of our relationship, but how..._ '

Suddenly, a sign came to me as Ruby's eyes glistened at a certain object, making said girl run towards it. It was none other than a money-sucking mini game. There was a giant white bear as the grand prize that sat on the shelf above. The game was simple; there was a projectile that you had to aim at the prizes, you had to whack the button on the bottom as hard as you could, shooting the missile towards the awards. Though some of the more easier prizes were already gone. I nodded in acceptance to the challenge and waltzed over to Ruby, who was staring at the big white teddy bear in glee.

"Oh Weiss, can I get the bear?" Ruby begged, cupping her hands as she bowed to me.

I exaggerated a thinking face, scuffing my chin. "Well, I don't know..." I pondered.

Ruby now got on her knees as she begged. "Pwweeeezzz Weiss?" She asked in her puppy-ish voice as she gave me her best begging face. Finally, I broke.

"Oh, alright. I guess I could give it a shot." I said, putting in a lien bill as the rocket lifted from it's fake silo. I picked up the wooden hammer as I stepped back a bit, loosening up a bit as I turned my body to gain momentum. I swung it around and with the built up momentum I swung down with extreme might.

 _ **THWANG!**_

The rocket Shot out with incredible speed, though not enough as it landed a few meters below the grand prize, rolling back down the slope as it entered a small machine near the small silo again. Ruby sighed in defeat, upon hearing this I turned around to see the little girl sulk in loss. Not wanting to see such a sad face, I went back to the machine with determination in my eyes.

" **One. More. Time.** " I said as I put in another lien bill. This time, I had a new strategy, one that required me to cheat the cheating game. I placed a glyph on the button and the striking part of the mallet, with all my might I swung, doing a 360 as I jumped. With all the force mustered up I swung down on the button once again.

 _ **THWAAAAAANNNNNNGGGGGGG!**_

The sound resonated throughout the area as the rocket shot out with speed that made the previous time look like a sunday driver. This time it smacked the giant teddy bear right off the pedestal, making the large prize fall back down to us as the rocket smacked against the top part of the wall, leaving a dent in the plastic as it too slid down the slope. I grabbed the prize as it neared me, looking at the rather large plush bear.

"I win." I said as I turned around. The little redhead's eyes lit up like a bunch of fireworks, whilst Winter simply nodded to congratulate me. I handed the bear to Ruby, who jumped up and down uncontrollably as she lunged for me.

"THANK YOU WEISS!" Ruby exclaimed, not caring how loud she was as she hugged me tightly. I grinned, blessed to see her smile once again as I dropped the bear and wrapped my arms around her.

"You're welcome sweetheart."

After obtaining the prize, and the much needed hug, we entered the limousine and headed home. Ruby talked about the movie and what to call the teddy bear, Winter helping her with the naming process as we drove down the streets of Atlas. After arriving back at the mansion Ruby put the giant teddy up in my room as Winter and I walked around. Suddenly, a bark was heard as we listened to the tiny scurrying of feet.

"Wait, is that who I think it is?" I asked Winter, to which she half honestly nodded.

"I think it is." Winter replied. Ruby came running down the stairs soon after, returning to us.

"I heard a dog!" Ruby said, squealing in joy.

"Well, if Shelby is here, then that means..."

Winter opened the living room doors, to which a small, curly white-ish dog came running to us. Winter caught her first, looking to the other figures in the room. Meanwhile I just looked in shock at the people in the room

"F..father?!"

 **Alright. So if you are reading this now, you are probably interested in the collab work with me and Topaz Smith. So anywho, I'll explain it briefly. So me and TS have been talking about doing a story together. We haven't spoken much about it but we were thinking about doing a crossover story _Sword Art Online x RWBY_. Now, I know SAO isn't the best, trust me, I feel like the script was almost written by me in my earlier work. But I somewhat enjoyed it and wanted to do a little mix of the two. We haven't gotten into much detail about the chapter yet, but we've been coming up with ideas and stuff. I'll inform you all when we've posted the chapter. So please, I just wanna know from you guys what you think, your ideas and stuff. Also, leave a few story ideas if you like it and we could maybe incorporate it and do a shoutout to the person. Anywho, as always, Stay tuned.**


	11. Uninvited Guests

**Heyo! Finally, another chapter. It's finally here! And to make it even better, it's an extra long chapter! I know it's been a week or two, last week was really shitty for me. Not going to go into much detail but my atv was crashed by one of my bro's inexperienced friends (Not too much damage done though), we over-exceeded our WiFi limit, so my father turned the router off for awhile, it had been too hot to go outside or do anything much (Thank you, fucking drought you piece of shit cuntassmotherfuckingbitchfuck..), and it had rained for a few of those days too. So yeah, I had a bad feeling last week would be a shitty time to write something, so instead I continued to fix my first works and posted it when I went to the library a week ago this Wednesday. Anywho, I'm gonna stop here cuz you've got a lot of reading to do. Just gonna also put this out that Topaz is working on the next chapter for _Beacon of Aincrad_. Don't know when it's gonna be out though, so... I think you know what I'm gonna say.**

 **Story Notes: Alright, just one note really. When you read the name of the young girl, it pronounced _My_ , not may, and if you get her full name in the end just leave me a comment you got it. I didn't think of that name instantly, I just got the first name off of another anime series, and then an idea came up when I put the second name in with it. This scene contains violence and adult language. Anywho, enjoy!**

 _About 11:00 p.m. (Ruby's POV)_

I opened my eyes slowly, trying to focus on my surroundings. Though I knew what was around me already; smoke, ash, flame, and half of the Schnee manor turned to rubble and wooden debris. I couldn't hear much, other than a low hum in my ears from when I was blown out of the big mansion. I resided in the white-covered backyard of the residence, the light snow that fell from the sky pelted me occasionally. Either that, or the ashes from the mansion as I laid on my side in the bloody snow.

"... _Ruby!..._ " I heard someone call out my name, though I could barely hear it from the humming in my ears.

"Ruby..." The voice called out again, I could recognize it, but I couldn't register who it was. It was a female's voice, though it could've been anyone from Weiss and/or Winter to their _stepmother_. I closed my eyes, trying to depict the person as I laid in peace on the patio. Suddenly, the person grabbed my arm, turning me over gently as they picked me up and rested me on their leg. I opened my eyes to see a blurry white haired woman I could decypher was Winter.

"W...W-Win..ter..." I muttered, going into a coughing fit as the woman restrained me to her leg.

"It's okay, you're gonna be okay. You're aura endured most of the blast." Winter stated, comforting me as she took out some bandages and other medical supplies. After checking my body for any open wounds, the white haired woman put away her supplies, injecting a small syringe into my arm before putting it back too and picking me up bridal style.

"That was just for the pain, don't worry. Now up you go hun, I'll take you to the other's." Winter told me as she trekked onward through the snow, around her burning building...

* * *

 _4 hours earlier (Ruby's POV)._

Winter opened the living room doors, to which a small, curly white-ish shih tzu came running to us. The older woman caught the dog as it jumped to the sisters, looking to the other figures in the room. Meanwhile Weiss just stared in shock at the people in the room

"F..father?!" The heiress exclaimed in confusion as she rose from the ground, looking at the other figure, a younger girl with big, curly pink-ish white pigtails, along with a small, frilled white dress and a light-pink pilled cardigan sweater that fit just below her small bust. She sported teal eyes and small cherry-red lips to add to her complexion, along with a gleaming smile that seemed to challenge my own.

"W-wait, w...whaaat..." Weiss was stuggling with words. It seemed Winter was too as she tried to piece together the situation.

"Father.. W-what are you doing here at such a late time of day?" Winter questioned positively, letting go of Shelby. "I thought you had important things to take care of."

"I did, but I left it to your, _mother_ , to handle when I heard that Weiss was coming down for a visit," The man replied in an eager manner, walking up to his daughters. "Why didn't you call me Weiss? I would've dropped in sooner if I had known you were coming up to see Winter!"

"I was going to tomorrow," Weiss answered. "I wanted it to be a surprise until then."

The heiress and the dad had smirks on their faces as the Schnee siblings hugged their father, leaving me in an awkward moment as they greeted each other.

"It's good to see you too _Mai_ ," The white haired girl greeted the younger girl, wrapping her in a crushing hug. "My god, you've gotten taller! You're up to my chest now!"

' _Lucky girl, already smooshed in Weiss' tit's. Where's my boob-smothering hug?!_ ' I thought to myself in jealousy as the two seperated.

"Hey sista's!" Mai replied, jumping up to Winter next for another bust-enveloping hug.

"It's good to see you Mai, Where's _Aria_?" Winter greeted, later turning to the man for the answer.

"Oh, she's in the washroom. It was an unexpected notice and she had to go to the lavatory just as I picked her up," Father Schnee replied, turning his gaze to me. "I didn't expect a guest to accompany you Weiss, who is this young little redhead?"

Weiss remembered my presence and pulled me closer to the group, holding out her hands to present. "Dad, this is Ruby, my team's leader and my partner, as well as best friend. Ruby, this is my father William Schnee." She introduced. I extended my hand out to the rather tall man, the latter doing the same as we shook.

"It's a pleasure to meet you mr. Schnee." I greeted, a kind smile on my face.

"Please, the pleasure's all mine. And call me Will if you like dear," Will returned, letting go of my hand. "I've heard grand stories about you from Weiss. The great crimson huntress who leads team RWBY."

I blushed a bit at the title. "O-oh, well. Yeah, that's me." I confirmed, swaying my foot back in forth in embarrassment. Weiss turned my gaze over to the smaller pink haired girl, who had the brightest smile on.

"Ruby, this is also my step-sister Mai-Lee Cirous." The heiress introduced.

"Hi!" The girl eagerly greeted as she shook my hand rather fast. I returned the gesture as I gave her an equally content smile.

"Hi there! It's nice to meet you too Mai!" I returned the greeting.

* * *

After some more small talk we listened to the stairs quietly creaking as a woman hummed in bliss. Soon the footsteps in heels grew louder and louder in our direction as it neared the living room area. The shih tzu barked a few times as she ran up to the female at the door, said woman picked up the dog as she walked up to us at the walkway.

"Hellooo~!" The woman greeted in a sing-song manner as she walked up to the Schnee siblings, a bright smile erupted on her face as she walked up to Weiss. "Weissy! It's been sooo long!"

"Hello- _Ugh!_ , Aria..." Weiss greeted monotonously as she was squeezed from the woman's hug. The older woman had slightly darker pink hair than what I assumed was her daughter Mai that seemed to mimic Weiss' preferred hair style, even the offset part of it, only it was longer and thicker than said heiress' as it ended around her wrists. Along with that she had on a frilled black and white dress with sleeves. Though I barely saw her eyes, it seemed that she also had teal iris', though with an emerald-ish gleam to them compared to her daughter's. The pink haired woman too sported a hearty smile that made me wonder just how it was possible in such a shithole as Atlas. ' _I'm guessing they're not from here, hopefully._ '

"I told you dear, you don't have to be shy, just call me mum if you feel comfortable!" Aria returned, letting go of the heiress as she panted slightly.

"Hi...mom..." Weiss retried in a small tone, making the woman cheer in glee.

"There, see?! Hello my darling!" The woman returned, rubbing the girls head as she praised her. The woman turned her gaze towards the rest of us, noticing something that didn't belong in the picture, me.

"Oohh! And who might you be little girl? Friend of Weiss'?" Aria asked in her cheerful attitude, waltzing up to me. I returned the kind smile as I offered my hand.  
"Hi there, I'm Ruby!" I answered as the woman was at a fair distance. "It's nice to meet yOOOO!"

"It is so nice to meet you!" The woman greeted, squeezing me in another one of her bone-crushing embraces that seemed to rival Yang's. The pink haired woman soon realized her actions, letting go of me as she lowered me to the ground. "Oh, I'm so sorry darling. I don't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

I simply smirked. "It's okay, my sister _crushes_ me with hugs all the time," I assured, emphasis in the verb as the woman smirked. "I'm Weiss' best friend and partner, as well as the leader of team RWBY!"

"Aahhh! I've heard of your team from William. It's a pleasure to meet such an honourable team leader from Beacon!" Aria replied sincerely, "My name is Aria Schnee, but you too can just call me mama if you like. Everyone back in my hometown calls me that!"

"Really?! That's awesome!" I exclaimed. The older woman smirked as she brought me back to the circle of Schnee's (and Mai).

 _About 8 p.m._

The group moved on to the dining room area, where we all sat down for dinner, which was already present at the table. As we dug in, Weiss talked about her time in Beacon academy. She talked about her friends, whom she regarded as her 'second family', her good grades and her improving skills, her amazing team, and most of all, me. While she kept our relationship behind the cover, she still found a way to remark me in such a nice and essentric manner. Her words were like gold to me, and I knew deep down that she truly meant what she said.

"So Ruby, tell us a little about yourself." William asked as he cleaned his gruff stache of food debris.

"Well. My full name is Ruby Rainen Rose. I was born and raised on the small island of Patch, where I trained and honed the most deadliest weapon design ever built. With the help of my uncle Qrow, who also helped me design and build my weapon. I was just walking through a dust/convenient store one day, when a bunch of burglars tried to rob the joint. I took them down in an awesome and cool fashion, but the leader behind it got away and I was dragged to an interrogation room by the headmaster's assistant. After a good long talk about my skill and prowess he offered me a chance to enroll, even though I'm technically two years too young for the academy. This led to that, yada-yada-yada, and here I am today," I explained, taking a bite out of my sandwich. "With the help and support from Weiss, I've met new friends and an awesome partner for combat. And along with our team, we've been through a lot of good battles together."

"Hmmm, I've met the other team members. Correct me if I'm wrong; the raven haired girl with the bow was Blake and the blonde who seemed to have an attraction for said girl was Yang?" William asked.

I froze up a bit, knowing I was treading on some kind of situation. "Well, yeah. But I don't think Yang is attracted to her. They're just best friends, that's why when Blake won the trip she chose to take her." I explained, hoping the white haired man bought it.

"Isn't said blonde also your sister?" Will questioned, I easily nodded.

"I'm surprised she isn't attracted. From what Weiss tells us the academy has more girls than boys, and from what I know that sometimes leads to deeper feelings and relationships in places with more of the same sex." Aria spoke now, rubbing her chin in thought. That made me wonder if she knew more than I thought she did about us. she seemed to know I had some kind of correlation with Weiss, and from what I can tell she knew the instant Will said it that she seemed to have feelings for her. Maybe she even knew and was just playing me like a game of truth, pulling at the details of my team and seeing what we said was true and what really was.

"My mom's a psychologist as well as a social worker, she's been doing different studies on hunters and huntresses on mental health as well as relationships and stuff." Mai spoke, eating another cookie as she washed it down with milk.

That's when a cold shiver ran up my neck.

Psychologists had a way to manipulate people, a way to acquire information from people, but most of all, how to figure out people with just a small amount of information. It's how they helped people, by understanding what they were going through they could easily make assumptions and suggestions. And because Aria was also a social worker she also had access to our school records and what-not, all she'd have to do was pull it up from her database. It made my stomach knot, she probably looked up our team's profile and saw the incident at our field trip, or the panic attack I had in the library with Weiss, or even the blunt fact that I have clinical depression and have been purchasing my prescriptions using my special medical benefit system I have. And maybe she read up on my other teammates. The incident at the mall, the breach in Vale with the train. Fuck, she probably even knew I got accepted into Beacon early.

The conversation seemed to keep up between them, though I simply stood back and listened for fear of exposing the truth of both my sister's, and my own same-sex relationship. I knew that Weiss'd tell them when the time was right for her, so I sat back and listened to their conversation on the sidelines. Weiss turned her gaze to me a few times, having noticed my sudden quietness. She looked at me one last time, giving me a nod I understood.

 _It's time._

The pressure started to build in my gut as Weiss cleared her space in front of her, placing her intertwined hands on the table as she cleared her throat.

"Mom, dad, Winter. There's something I've been meaning to talk to you all about."

' _Oh god, why am I so clammy? So uneasy?! The time is now, yet I feel like hiding in my hood. God help you Weiss._ ' I thought as the attention was drawn to the heiress. Weiss cleared her throat once again, making calm eye contact with the audience in front of us.

"I guess I should start at the beginning, when I called you Winter," The alabaster girl turned to Winter, who was listening with a smirk on her face as she waited. "When I called you, I said that I wanted to come and see you and go out to Atlas. I forgot to mention this, but Ruby was also very excited to come meet you and see Atlas for herself. We had agreed to come see you and her meet the family, but there was also another goal in mind that we wanted to accomplish while we were here, one that included father as well. Though I must say that tonight's unexpected visit was nice, and it played in my favour for the second goal, there's something I need to confess..."

"You see... Ruby and I... Ruby and I are-"

Weiss' last sentence was interrupted by the screeching of tires in the parking lot, followed by the honking of the vehicle's horn. Winter rolled her eyes, getting up from her spot to look out the window.

"What is Markus doing now? For god sakes!" The white haired girl exclaimed in frustration, the full group getting up to look out the window. Markus ran to the entrance with his dog in his arms as he entered the mansion with a loud thud.

"What the hell are you doing Markus?!" Winter demanded, Mark slammed the door shut, looking out the window in shock before cupping his mouth.

" **EVERYBODY GET DOWN!** " The black man shouted as he dove to the ground. Almost instinctively, we all dropped to the floor as bullets flew through the window's and into the walls inside, leaving thousands of holes as gunshots rung throughout the mansion. The shooting continued for a few more minutes before it suddenly stopped, and silence dawned on the mansion as the room was now in shreds.

"Is everyone alright?!" Winter shouted, William and the Cirous family popped their heads out, nodding in compliance.

"We're alright, just shaken up." Aria reported as they got up.

"What about you Weiss? Ruby?" Winter asked, walking up to Weiss first, who was fine. I got up, noticing a bullet wound on my left gut, though it quickly disappeared thanks to my aura.

"I'm alright, Weiss?" I asked the heiress. Weiss nodded.

Winter took to cover beside the window, taking a peak over to see the culprits behind it.

"Fuck!" The White haired woman exclaimed, signalling to follow her. "Come on, we need to get our weapons."

"Wait, who are these people? The ones that attacked?" I asked The older woman at the entrance.

" _White Fang_. They've got 3 or 4 convoy's outside, along with 2 approaching bullhead's in the horizon." Winter reported as she looked out the window, Then to Mark who was typing in a code or something on his scroll. Suddenly something shot out from the limousine outside, landing right before us as said vehicle started to shoot off fireworks and other rounds at the infantry outside. The troops started to shoot again, making new bulletholes in the already destroyed entrance. "Weiss, Ruby, do you have your weapons here?"

We both nodded. "It's in our luggage upstairs."

"Go get it, me and Mark will hold them off." The older Schnee instructed as Markus dug into what looked to be a suitcase or something that landed inside the building from the limo. He started to put it together quickly, soon, a tommy-gun was assembled as Mark loaded a drum mag and cocked it.

"Don't worry girls, we'll handle this." Mark instructed. Giving an 'ok' sign with his hand. We nodded in compliance as Weiss and I ran to the stairway and up the stairs.

* * *

Already there was William and the other's in Weiss' room, looking outside for any other attackers in the backyard. He turned when we entered the room, slightly frightened as he pointed an antique revolver at us. Though he quickly noticed our faces and let his guard down. "Oh, Weiss, Ruby, thank god. A couple of the waiters and waitresses are dead in the kitchen, we went around and upstairs from there," William explained, "do you two have your weapons here?"

Weiss and I nodded confidently. "Don't worry, we'll take care of this." Weiss answered bravely. We pulled out our bags, digging in them rather quickly. Suddenly, we heard something burst through the ceiling outside, which then swung into the bedroom as they kicked the door down to reveal a couple thugs bearing the White Fang outfits and symbolic masks. I looked to Weiss, giving her a quick nod and an unseen peck on the lips as I turned to the grunts.

"Don't worry Weiss, I got this one." I stated, transforming my weapon into it's scythe form. I noticed that not only my opponents, but Weiss' family both had looks of shock at the gigantic weapon I presented. I swung it down, planting it to the ground.

"Show time."

Weiss threw me a dust magazine as I caught and threw it high in the air, drawing the thugs' attention. Upon seeing this, I bolted to them, slashing the first one downward as he dropped to his knee's. I jumped up and, with the downed guard, used his back as a stool as I pushed up high enough to the second's shoulder's and planted myself. I pushed off the other thug, doing a few little flips and a couple corkscrews in the air as I smashed the clip into the gun mechanism. Cocking it back, I swung in mid-air downwards whilst upside-down, picking the first grunt up off the ground as he flew to an upright position in front of the other grunt behind him. While I still had air time I shot a bullet at the two, shooting both of them backwards as they flew over the railing. I ended with my sniper-scythe on my shoulder as I returned to reality.

"That, was, AWESOME!" Mai exclaimed as she shot her hands up in the air, "How did you do that?!"

"Lots of training, practice, and most importantly, milk." I answered bravely, giving the young girl a grin as we continued. Another guard entered through the new skylight, smacking my weapon down and kicking me back almost instantly as she held a SMG at us. I noticed she was some kind of leopard faunus, understanding how she did the act so quickly.

"Nobody move!" The woman commanded, pointing it in both directions as she moved my scythe away from our general direction with her foot. "You four are coming with me."

I noticed Weiss sneak up behind the infantry soldier, quickly slashing the faunus' legs and causing her to drop to her knees as she followed up with a swipe to the left that spun her around and onto the ground. I reached for my weapon, but just as I did the grunt kicked Weiss' weapon in the air, kicking off of the heiress as she swung her fist at me. I rolled under the punch and kicked the girls knee, causing her to drop as Weiss and I quickly scrambled for our weapons. The faunus did the same as we all noticed we were unarmed. The white haired girl was the first to retrieve her weapon as she spun it around in her signature thrusting stance, gliding towards the faunus girl. The goon saw this as she grabbed her weapon and used the butt-end to smack Weiss to the side. I finally grabbed my weapon as the girl and Weiss were in a power struggle together, the two holding each other's weapons away from the other as they fought for dominance. Weiss finally stopped the struggle, spinning her body in front of the enemy as I stood just behind the heiress.

"Spin her around Weiss!" I shouted, changing my weapon to it's gun form.

"Just.. shoot me... it'll go through and hit.. her!" Weiss staggered as she held her ground.

"Are you crazy!" I shouted.

"Just do it!" Weiss returned. I fired one off, hitting the grunt in the most open spot available, her arm as she dropped her weapon and bent over in agony. Pulling Weiss aside, I picked the goon back up and with all my might smashed my head into hers, knocking her out cold.

"Ruby, are you alright?" Weiss asked as she grabbed my arm. I clenched my head a bit, shaking it off as I looked back at her.

"Yeah, just a headache." I responded, making Weiss chuckle.

"You really are thick-headed, just never knew it'd come to use." Weiss returned jokingly, turning to her family and back at the unconscious grunt on the floor. We left Weiss' room and made our way to the entrance again, where Winter and Markus knelt down as the leader paced in front of them. It was another member of the White Fang, but he had on a different outfit compared to the rest of his crew. He wore a black trench coat with red designs around it, a noticeable white design on his left shoulder, and a large white tulip and red rose emblem on his back, black pants and shoes with red bottom's on them, black gloves with the greek letter ' _omega_ ' (Ω) in red on each of them, and a differently shaped white mask with a red japanese flame design on it. His hair was red and swept back, but the back of his head seemed to have a tinge of brown. To tie it all in he had small horns on his head, symbolizing he was a bull faunus. His weapon was a chokutō with a dark-red scabbard and dark-grey hilt, combined with a trigger and ammo clip attached to it and a wilting flower logo.

"Don't move!" One of the White Fang members shouted, pointing his gun at us, soon several more came rushing to his side, mimicking his stature as they all swarmed us. I looked to Weiss, who did the same as a look of worry plastered on her face. I gave her a nod, tossing my weapon away to the guards swarming us. A couple of the soldiers took our weapons as the rest hauled us to Winter and Mark's location, kicking us down with a hard landing on the floor as we were instructed to put our hands on our head's. The commander of the group simply laughed. A dark, intimidating chuckle as our weapons were thrown in front of him, whom he quickly surveyed before walking up to us.

* * *

"A-ha-hah... finally. I was starting to believe you got away." The leader of the assault admitted, planting the bottom end of his weapon down as he too knelt to the floor, using his scabbard as a balance as he scanned us all. Soon after he got up, throwing his weapon in the air before grasping it in his left hand again.

"What do you want from us?! Money? Power? Just name your cause and we can negotiate." William Schnee bargained, earning another dark chilling laugh from the man.

"hahaha!..*sigh* It's not lien _or_ control I'm after, but rather all of you. You see. My informant told me that the whole Schnee family was gathered all together in Atlas, I didn't believe it at first until my spy sent me a photo of you all in the living room. When I seen it, I knew I couldn't pass up such an opportunity," The bull faunus explained. "But the little red scythe wielding girl too? It must be a blessing. I've heard all about you and your little meddling battles with Mr. Torchwick, red. Though that guy's a fucking idiot in a bowler hat, he told me you've **fucked** up quite a lot of our plans. That doesn't just make him mad, it costs the lives of good faunus men and women, and therefore makes me _furious_."

He knelt down in front of me, inspecting every aspect of my body. He suddenly grabbed my throat, tightening his grip as I gasped for air.

"You pathetic little thing are the real monster! You see us as trash, freaks, evil beings sent by the devil!" He spat, throwing me back down as he stood up again. I coughed a couple times as I looked up at Weiss, who had a mix of tears in her eyes and a building rage in her complextion. I sat forward again as the black clad man moved on to Winter, who too was on the verge of snapping.

"You crazy _fuck_! What is the point of your ramblings?!" Winter shouted.

"Well. It's not about cost nor bribery, hohoho no. This, this is about something _way_ more important to me, this is about **REVENGE**! And the freedom of my brothers and sisters trapped in that hellhole living environment YOU IMPRISONED THEM IN!" The faunus leader bellowed, walking back up to William. "LET THIS BE A MESSAGE AS I TAKE THE LIVES OF **ALL YOU**! LET IT STRIKE FEAR IN THE KINGDOMS AND PROMOTE OUR MESSAGE OF EQUALITY!"

"Equality, or tyranny?" William questioned, in a low, emotionless tone. The leader grabbed the hilt of his weapon, unsheathing a part of it.

"Starting with _**you**_." He stated to the white haired man, making Weiss gasp in shock.

"DAD NO!" Weiss yelled, attempting to run at the red haired man, though was quickly stopped as a bunch of guards held the heiress back. "Let go of me!"

"Wait your turn ice-queen, your dad is first on my deathwish." The man returned, smacking Weiss with the inner side of his scabbard before returning to Will. Tears started to flow out of the white haired girl's eyes freely as she watched in horror. I looked at Weiss, who just sat there in shock as she accepted defeat, sobbing on the floor as she closed her eyes.

That's when I snapped.

The man unsheathed his weapon. A bright red hue seemed to glisten off of the chokutō as he pulled it back in a thrusting position. I suddenly did a quick roll, escaping the guard's on my sides as I used my semblance to rush to the white haired man, right as the leader begun to thrust his weapon forward.

 _Tthhnckk! **GASP!**_

I stood in front of the two men, with the black clad's sword thrusted into my stomach. My eyes widened in shock as I slowly grabbed the hilt of the blade, only able to respire in small, feint, high pitched squeaks of breath as I stood frozen in between the two. I heard William back up, and watched over the redheaded man's shoulder as Winter evaded the guards and grabbed something as she pressed a button on it. All of a sudden, a siren blasted as a red light flashed around us. The black clothed man looked around, noticing both Winter and Weiss starting to fight the guards with their weapon's re-possessed. The faunus leader removed his sword from my gut, pulling the trigger on his scabbard as it shot me to the fireplace. Suddenly, several sirens were heard outside as the sounds of boots marching up to the house arose.

" **White Fang! This is General Ironwood of the Atlesian Army! Surrender immediately!** " Ironwood announced on a handheld speakerphone, soon later hearing guns being cocked and loaded outside. Weiss and Winter held their guard at the entrance, with Winter walking readily to the door as she opened it and signalled for the men to come in.

"Dammit! This'll have to be postphoned to another day!" The leader exclaimed, grabbing me again as he ran to the living room. He pulled out a detonator as he kicked the french door open and ran out to the balcony of the mansion, pulling the trigger at the railing. Suddenly, the balcony and the accompanying room exploded as the man and I went flying. He lost his grip on me as we started to descend in different directions. Mine ending up on the cold, snowy patio walkway, whilst his seemed to go into a bush in the garden not too far from my estimated LZ. I watched as I approached the ground rather quickly, hitting the walkway hard.

 _ **THUD!**_

* * *

 _About 11 p.m._

I regained a little of my consciousness, opening my one eye to see the blurry leader, bruised and bloody and a couple more White Fang assailants in the distance. I closed my eye, reopening it as a bullhead appeared out of nowhere.

"...What about that little redheaded girl?..." I heard one of the grunts ask. The leader looked at me, waving the fang member off.

"Fuck her, we need to get out of here." He stated, getting onto the bullhead with the grunt following not too far behind. The door shut closed, ending with the airship flying off into the distance as I started to fade out of consciousness again.

I opened my eyes slowly, trying to focus on my surroundings. Though I knew what was around me already; smoke, ash, flame, and half of the Schnee manor turned to rubble and wooden debris. I couldn't hear much, other than a low hum in my ears from when I was blown out of the big mansion. I resided in the white-covered backyard of the residence, the light snow that fell from the sky pelted me occasionally. Either that, or the ashes from the mansion as I laid on my side in the bloody snow.

"...Ruby!..." I heard someone call out my name, though I could barely hear it from the humming in my ears.

"Ruby..." The voice called out again, I could recognize it, but I couldn't register who it was. It was a female's voice, though it could've been anyone from Weiss and/or Winter to their stepmother. I closed my eyes, trying to depict the person as I laid in peace on the patio. Suddenly, the person grabbed my arm, turning me over gently as they picked me up and rested me on their leg. I opened my eyes to see a blurry white haired woman I could decypher was Winter.

"W...W-Win..ter..." I muttered, going into a coughing fit as the woman restrained me to her leg.

"It's okay, you're gonna be okay. You're aura endured most of the blast." Winter stated, comforting me as she took out some bandages and other medical supplies. After checking my body for any open wounds, the white haired woman put away her supplies, injecting a small syringe into my arm before putting it back too and picking me up bridal style.

"That was just for the pain, don't worry. Now up you go hun, I'll take you to the other's." Winter told me as she trekked onward through the snow, around her burning building.

I lost consciousness again, waking back up to Winter's calm complexion and the night sky as she continued to carry me.

"That was very brave, you stepping in to save my father," Winter spoke softly, looking at me with deep blue eyes. "So I wanted to say, thank you so much. You saved him, but you didn't have to risk your life to do that. So why did you?"

I let up a light cough or two, suppressing it with my hand as I looked back up at Winter. "...I saw the saddened look in Weiss' eyes when she knew she couldn't do anything to save him. And I know what it feels like, to lose someone you love dearly, and not be able to do anything about it no matter how much you wanted to. My mother died when I was 5 years old. She left for a mission, and the only thing that came back was her _white hooded cape_ and a letter from the hunter's union. She meant the world to me, and her passing destroyed me, broke me and has been that way all my life. So when I saw that same look I once had, in Weiss I couldn't stand to watch someone shatter like I did, so I saved your dad by taking the blow instead." I answered. Winter's eyes looked down at me, both sympathy and care in her complexion.

"I'm so sorry Ruby. You are an amazing friend for Weiss." Winter apologized. I gave the older woman a smirk to thank her.

"Just promise me one thing? Just don't tell Weiss about my mum. I'll tell her, soon. But until then I don't want her worrying or anything about it." I asked the older woman, who simply nodded.

"Understood Ruby."

I was soon able to walk again as Winter guided me to the front of the mansion, where multiple Atlas forces awaited as well as flashing lights and a helicopter. The General was talking to Mr. Schnee, with the other's close by as they all were wrapped in their own emergency blanket's. Weiss turned her gaze towards us, eyes widening as she dropped her blanket and ran up to us. Winter walked over to the general as the heiress embraced me in a bearhug, crying a bit on my shoulder as she tightened her hold on me.

" _Sniff_ R-RU-UBY! Sob." Weiss bawled, letting up as she looked back up at me. Her eyes were puffy and multiple tear streams were evident on her face. I gave her a content smirk.

"Hey Weiss," I greeted, cupping her cheeks with my hands as I let out a couple tears as well. "I'm still breathin'!"

The heiress let out a content chuckle as she pulled me in another hug, soon letting go as she brought me to the rest of the group hand-in-hand. General Ironwood was the first to greet me, handing me my weapon.

"I believe this is yours miss." The general stated as I grabbed my weapon in glee.

"Oh, thank you!" I returned as I holstered Crescent Rose on my sache. The general did a salute as he left to another group of soldiers in the background. Weiss grabbed my hand again, bringing me to the other Schnee's. William Schnee gave me a big smile as I neared the group.

"Ruby! You're alright!" Mai exclaimed as she jumped up at me, I returned the embrace as the little girl soon let up and returned to her mother. William came up next, placing his hands on my shoulders.

"Thank you so much Ruby, I owe you my life. If there's anything you need, we'll always be available for you." The white haired man spoke with a blessed smile to his face, he too returning to the group. Winter finally joined us, reuniting the full family again in the circle.

"So Weiss. What were you gonna say back in the dining room, before we were interrupted by gunfire?" Will asked, wrapping his arms around Mai from behind her as he awaited the rest of the announcement.

"Oooh, right. Before we were attacked I was telling you how I had another goal in mind when I came here, Ruby and I wanted to tell you something that has been in our minds since the start. You see, Ruby is more than just a team leader and a partner to me, way more. Ruby is also my loving _girlfriend_ , she and I are dating. I-I'm... I'm a lesbian."

To say the Schnee's were shocked would be a huge understatement. They were astonished, yet also surprisingly enlightened. William Schnee stood in shock, words seemed to choke in his throat as he was unsure of what to say. Winter was the first to speak.

"Well, I had a feeling you two were a thing. I guess now would be a good time to also admit I swing that way too." Winter admitted, making the father of the two girls collapse as the wife and daughter checked on him. The white haired man got back up a moment later, clearing his throat as he finally came up with the words he wanted to say.

"Weiss, just answer me one question. What is she to you?" Will asked, awaiting his daughter's answer.

"Ruby's... she's everything to me. My sword and shield, my partner and best friend, but most of all, my little rose. And I love her dearly." Weiss answered, bravery and honesty trickling from her words.

"If she makes you happy," Will concluded.

"Then I can accept her,"

Weiss and I both sported a gleaming smile, for once the alabaster girl's was even brighter and happier than mine. The white haired man walked up to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Just please, don't ever hurt my darling."

"I won't." I replied with kindness and admiration.

" _I love Weiss, and I'd do anything for her."_

 **And thus, the end of the chapter. _Beacon of Aincrad_ 's next chapter should be soon, don't worry, and we plan on continuing it for those begging us to just make sure it keeps going. So I hope you all liked the chapter. Idk if I'll do the RFSB chapter next or wait for Topaz to work on our collab story together. Like I stated, I was gonna be either slowing down the content for RFSB or putting it on Haitus for a little bit, it's just not something that's on my heart a lot at the moment. So anyways, as always, stay, motherfuckin tuned!**

 **Seriously though. This fucking hot ass weather better fuck off soon, just cool down a bit for god sakes whatthefuckdoesittaketogetalittlebitofrainandanicebreezemotherofgodImsweating...**


	12. Unwanted Guests (Alt Chp) (Rough Work)

**Hey! Welcome back to another chapter of TWR. I just wanna say at the beginning, before I start ranting, I'm SO sorry about the wait. I've been really busy, so I haven't really had a lot of time to work. Also I work night shift on the weekends now, it's been just tiring. I'm doing a 4 course co-op now, so I've been searching for placements and stuff, and lastly, and most importantly, my wifi's been cut out for almost a month. But I got it back and I HAVE been trying to make some good shit. Unfortunately, I don't think this is good. But it is something. I wanted to make an extra long chapter for the arc, as a make-up gift for my haitus. But after, like the second or third line break it just went to shit I think. I've been meaning to edit this, but I have no time nor patience to edit a chapter that is 12 pages long on my writing program. I've tried, but I just can't. So I've decided that this will just be an alternate chapter to the story, not the actual thing. Cuz I've worked hard on it, believe it or not. And I don't want to delete something I thought would be the next chapter, and break the promise of the make-up gift to you guys and girls. So please, if you have any care to my rant, just please understand I've tried.**

 **Story Notes: Alright, before you get into it, a quick note to keep in mind. This was originally gonna be the next chapter to the story, but I decided to rewrite it in hopes that I can make it better and more fulfilled. So this is just an alternate chapter, it won't follow the rest of the story. Also, it hasn't been edited and proofread much, it's straight, uncut work directly from my heart and mind. So if you see mistakes or pieces that just don't really make it interesting please, just bear with me. I don't have anytime to edit the full thing. If I waited until it was fully edited it would probably be another month or so until it came out. Anyway, I hope you at least like it somewhat, I haven't forgotten about you guys, I just haven't had time to make anything decent. So pce.**

* * *

 _About 10:30 a.m. (3rd Person POV)_

Ruby started to stir as she listened for any sign of noise in the room. Trying to remember what had happened last night, after the attack, it was difficult to piece together the events after she fell asleep. Well, she didn't _instantly_ fall asleep, due to some rather... intimate affection with the heiress. But she couldn't remember much of what happened after coming out to Weiss' family that they were a thing, except for the fact that they accepted them, and a small memory of walking into William's mansion-sized condo afterwards.

The redhead opened her eyes, finding her beautiful girlfriend before her sound asleep. Strands of her loose, white hair covered her left cheek as it flowed across the heiress' collarbone. The red hooded girl smiled as she untwined her left hand from the white clad's, about to use her right to support her weight as she attempted to get up when suddenly a surge of immense pain crippled the redhead from her wrist, arm and stomach as she fell back onto the bed. She cupped her mouth with her left hand to restrict the scream that was building in her throat as she laid in bed, riding out the waves of agony as the short haired girl took deep breaths to calm herself down. Soon Ruby remembered a bit of what happened last night.

Apparently, the crimsonette had severely fractured her right arm. She didn't know how it happened (cause getting shot against a stone fireplace and surviving a 2-storey drop couldn't possibly have caused it), but she hadn't noticed it until the paramedics started to patch her up. Either she had just enough aura to keep the injury below severe, her adrenaline was pumping through her on high gear; keeping her from feeling pain, or the best of both. Either way, when the attack was over the little redhead's arm started to hurt, bad. The paramedics drove her down to the hospital to get some x-rays, discovering the fractured arm and wrist. Fortunately, the damage wasn't too severe, else the redhead would've needed to get a cast. But the arm was still very vulnerable and because of it, disabled her from attending her huntress duties under the doctor's orders. After getting a removable arm brace, and some strong prescription painkillers, the hooded girl was free to go home and rest.

The short haired warrior lifted her fractured arm carefully, using her other arm for support this time as she swung her legs around and planted them down on the hardwood floor of Weiss' bedroom. A small, substantial pain emitted in the crimsonette's core, but was easily overridden as she got up and made her way to the small ensuite that connected to the heiress' room. Ruby grabbed a small glass of water and made her way back to the bedroom, placing the cup on Weiss' desk and searching through the prescription bag that the hooded girl placed there last night. The redhead pulled out the prescription bottle with her painkilling med's and noticed a problem, it took two hands and Ruby couldn't use her injured one. She tried to open the bottle another way, failing each and every attempt before she finally examined the bottle and lid.

"Fuck!" The little warrior said quietly, as to not wake the heiress as she tried to think of another way to open it. "How the hell am I supposed to open this?"

Suddenly. The cookie crusader felt two soft hands on her shoulders, turning her head to see Weiss as she took the pill container and twisted it off for her dolt. "Like that." She replied, a hint of embarrassment tinting the redhead's cheeks as the alabaster girl gave her one of the pills and afterwards putting the container away.

"T..Thanks Weiss.." Ruby thanked, looking down in slight defeat. The heiress smirked as she lifted the girl's cheeks, planting a kiss on her love's lips as she looked into Ruby's eyes.

"You're welcome sweetheart."

After taking her painkiller and an antidepressant, Ruby put her arm brace and sling on. Weiss later helped get the young girl dressed as they exited the heiress' bedroom. The couple walked down the stairs of the other Schnee residence and into the kitchen/small dining area, noticing Aria and Mai as they made their breakfast.

"Ah, goodmornin' girls!" Aria greeted, walking up to the both of them and wrapping them in a hug, careful not to hurt the little injured redhead. "And how's our little red hero doing?"

"I'm alright," Ruby replied, giving Weiss' step-mother a smile for her praisal. "Just a little sore's all."

The older woman smirked a bit, "That's to be expected. But don't worry honey, how 'bout I make you some breakfast?"

"I-if it's alright, actually," Weiss piped in, clearing her throat to gain the prime attention. "I can make her some breakfast. After all, she is the guest and I need to fulfill my role as the friend of the guest."

Aria's lips turned to a more devious smirk. "Oooh.. I see what you're doing Missy. You two have fought your hardest last night, and quite frankly, you two look tired. You go sit on the couch, rest up. _I'll_ take care of the food situation." The pink haired woman stated, giving the couple a wink as she went back around the island and started to scavenge the fridge for breakfast material. Weiss had a strong blush on her cheeks, meanwhile Ruby praised the older woman for letting them rest just a little more. Truthfully, she doubted coffee would even wake her up from the amount of fatigue in her body this morning. Taking the heiress' hand in her own free one, Ruby dragged her girlfriend out the door to the living room area. As soon as they reached the room, she picked the comfiest looking couch and laid down on it, Weiss joining her soon thereafter. The heiress gently wrapped her arms around the girl, careful not to hurt her girlfriend's arm as she firmly pulled her little redhead closer to her. It didn't take long before Ruby soon fell asleep, not even caring where or what the alabaster girl did after she closed her eyes.

* * *

 _12:00 p.m._

The young red huntress opened her eyes slowly. The extra nap time was greatly appreciated as the redhead felt refreshed and energized. She turned her head, noticing a blanket that was placed on her as she slept, but no sign of her white haired girlfriend behind her. Slightly confused, Ruby got up, finding no trace of the heiress in the room she resided in as she slowly got up. The little red girl put her sling back on and waltzed back into the kitchen, finding a couple of dirty pans on the stove, but still no people around, though she could now hear muffled sounds of talking in the accompanying room beside it. She finally walked into the main dining room, finding plates of hot food on them as all the family members in the house started gathering at the table. They all noticed the redhead soon after entering the room, greeting her with warming smiles as Weiss walked up to her.

"Good evening sleepyhead." William greeted as he signalled with his hand to one of the free seats with warm food in front of it.

"I was just about to call you hun," Weiss said with a content smile to her complexion as she grabbed her girlfriend's hand. "Aria just put breakfast down on the table, with a little help from the waiter's."

The couple sat down together on one side of the table, William in the middle, and Winter beside the Cirous' on the other side. The family started to dig in, with Weiss helping her little red clad girl as she offered the different platters of food to her. Ruby finally started to dig in to her scrambled eggs and hashbrowns, though it was difficult without her other hand being able to scoop the food on to the fork with the knife. The young huntress shrugged as she tried her best. Hey, she fought grimm four times the size of her, she would figure out how to wield both utensils with one hand too, right?

Wrong, it would assume as she tried to keep her breakfast sausage in place, picking up her knife to cut it for it to just move in tandem with the sharp cutlery. The little hooded girl struggled with the easy, yet challenging food item for what felt like forever as it just seemed to not cooperate with the crippled girl. Finally, the little redhead placed her little weapons down, trying to analyze any possible ways to get it to work.

"Ruby? What's wrong?" Weiss asked, making the girl in question to turn as she saw a look of concern on the heiress' face. The white haired girl looked at the huntress' last point of view as she quickly put the pieces together. "Do you need help?"

"U-uhm, no-" Ruby tried to play it out smoothly, but the white haired chick beside her didn't let her even finish as she scooted the younger's plate closer to hers, sticking her fork in the sausage and using her other to cut the tube of meat. After slicing it all up she returned the plate back to her leader.

"There you go." Weiss concluded, giving the scythe wielder a content smirk.

"Y-yeah, thanks Weiss.." Ruby thanked, slight disappointment in her voice as she picked up her fork again and dug in to her food once more. That little action made the redhead a little sad. Though she appreciated her girlfriend helping her out greatly, the little huntress wanted to do it herself, even with her disability. Ruby didn't want to burden her partner, or anyone for that matter with having to help her out. She always tried to be self-sufficient, even with little tasks. To _need_ someone else to do something for her bugged her greatly, believe it or not. Ruby didn't want to need somebody else to help her out. She was a big girl, she drunk milk!

Weiss noticed the slight disappoint in her girlfriend's look, patting the girl on the back to try and cheer her up. She always tried to help people out, though she was more _forced_ to help out the scythe wielder at first. The ivory haired girl was rather... difficult working with the redhead in the start, but after taking a sort of attraction to the girl she had grown to _love_ helping her out. Every once and awhile, the heiress would ask for her assistance, allowing the young huntress to take control. Aside from missions and other scenarios that required the leader's approach, Weiss would try and take control of the small situations that occured in the team's dormroom; keeping them up-to-date with the homework, housekeeping, taking messages and other mail to the room, etc. The heiress saw herself as sort of a secretary or a counselor to the team, and especially for her little redhead.

"So Weiss," William spoke, turning his gaze over to his daughter, who simply nodded to answer. "I don't mean to foil your pleasant mood, but have you spoken to your _mother_ recently?"

The princess in question frowned, shaking her head lightly. "No, not since the battle over our custody was finalized," She gave her father a slight look of enlightenment. "But I don't think she'd care much whether or not I even existed to her. And quite frankly, I think it's best that way."

Weiss stared down the white haired man with a new look of curiosity. "Why do you ask?"

William realized his point was rather dragged from under the carpet so nonchalantly, clearing his throat to explain. "W-well, I don't really know how to explain it in the best of detail, so I guess it'd just be best to show."

The man pulled out a scrollpad and slid the device down to the heiress, said heiress stopping the device at her fingers as she picked it up. It showed a video of a news clip with Winter's mansion in shambles on the screen. The subtitle read: ' **Schnee Reunion Turned Horror Show** ' _._ Weiss looked at it for a moment in concern before tapping the screen to play the video.

"Destruction and chaos rippled through the mansion owned by Atlas Specialist Winter Schnee around 9 o'clock last night. The attack was caused by the notorious gang; the White Fang, at the time the Schnee family was eating their late night dinner. The leader of the White Fang led a small battalion of troops inside the manor, though was heavily fended off by the residents of the house. The residents were all captured and taken hostage after an hour of gunfire and explosions. The Schnee family members were the supposed targets of the assault as the victims claimed the leader attempted to kill the father, William Schnee. The attack was halted as dozens of Altas soldiers marched to the scene. The leader of the attack fled to the back with a friend of the family, blowing up the living room and balcony area of the manor as he used the person as a human shield. The person was left at the back walkway of the house as the leader fled the scene in a bullhead along with the other members of the White Fang. The remaining White Fang members left at the scene have been taken into custody and are being interrogated as to the true intents of the attack. This is-"

Weiss stopped the video, pinching the bridge of her nose in unamusement as she looked back up to her father. "I understand she can easily see this, but what makes you think this'll change anything about our situation?" The heiress asked, sliding her dad's pad back to him.

"Well. As cold and dark as she may be, it's made her worried, believe it or not-"

"I choose not." Weiss interrupted. Her cold stature forming in her words as she sat up straight.

"SO. She called me earlier this morning, asked what had happened and whether we were all right-"

"What're you getting at, father." Winter now interrupted, taking a sip from her teacup. "What has she done now?"

"Nothing! She hasn't done anything, but..." The man paused, making the siblings sigh as they looked at their father.

"BUT WHAT!?" The siblings shouted in unison, making the man jump in his seat.

"Long story short, she's coming up for a quick visit to ensure that we're all alright, and that I am fit enough for an upcoming business trip."

The Schnee sisters had looks of utter frustration on them. Weiss rested her elbow down on the table, rubbing her forehead as if to calm the sudden migrane arising. Meanwhile Winter sat back in her seat, letting her hands up in shock and letting them drop down on her lap. "Are you shitting me?!" The older Schnee sibling replied, looking to Will as if he was fucking with them.

"Oh, I wish I was..." William stated, placing his elbows on the table as he entwined his hands together. "Regardless, I want to at least show her that you are all still 'in one piece', as she'd say. So just a warning, DON'T. FIGHT. WITH HER. It's already bad enough her dark presence is coming to haunt us, I'd rather not want her cold demeanour to continue to haunt me when I go back to work."

The daughter's to the Schnee father nodded. "Yes father."

"What about Ruby?" Weiss asked, grabbing the girl-in-question's hand. "I've already kept our relationship under the radar for awhile, I'm not gonna make her go undercover any longer."

"It's alright Weiss," Ruby responded now, squeezing the heiress' hand a little tighter. "We have all the time in our future to be together, I'm fine with keeping the cat in the bag for a little longer. Besides. It's only for, like, a few hours before she probably goes back home."

Weiss shook her head vigorously. "NO. Ruby Rose, you've put up with me and my stupid mistake for almost a month now. The reason I was so cold, even before we started dating, was because of that witch's poisonous ways. She tried to reap this perfection that was impossible to attain, and when I failed, which I did almost all the time, she'd discipline me as a manor of 'respect', so she said. But YOU have broken me out of that shell of strict and cold and showed me my true self. And while I still hold those little attempts at perfection deep within me, I've changed, for the better. So I will show her the light that drove out her darkness like a beacon, and I will show her that she no longer controls me." She spoke in honour, a look of boldness and pride in her complexion as she grasped the girl's hand firmly, giving her a nod as she turned her gaze back to her father.

William scruffed his stache, deep in thought as he contemplated the aftermath of the confession to the witch they called 'mother'. Weiss noticed this and turned her gaze back to the older man, a look of curiosity enveloping her complexion. "What's wrong with that father? You seem fine with Aria and Mai with you when you talk to her, and mom's accepted that you moved on. So why can't _I_ have my little rose beside me when I confront her?" She asked, a look of frustration on her face. William noticed it quickly and shook his hands out.

"It's not that Weiss! It's just.. you know how she's been, how she's.. disliked the unstraight relationships. I don't want you and her to clash, that's all!" Mr. Schnee explained, honesty and care in his words as he tried his best not to say the wrong things. "Look, you can have her with you when you confront her. That's fine with me, tell her how you see fit. But PLEASE, don't try and rub it in, don't be snarky and arrogant with her, I'm not saying be a 'perfect little princess', I'm just asking for a peaceful encounter. Okay?"

The white rose couple nodded their heads, almost in sync. "Yes dad," Weiss responded, a small smirk piquing at her lips. "And thank you, for being considerate for me and Ruby."

* * *

 _About 2:30 p.m._

The last couple of hours were spent talking about their relationship for the white rose couple, and talking about Ruby's condition. While the girl in the conversation felt a little ashamed about it, the family showed no signs of difference to her from when they were talking previously, making the red clad girl appreciative. Soon, the sound of a car rolling in to the parking lot of the estate made them all snap back into the situation arising. Ruby felt somewhat nervous, based off of last night's event. And Winter seemed a bit edgy too as Weiss walked over to the window, looking out it carefully as she turned her head to the crowd with a look of unpleasantness.

"She's here."

The family all rose up as they made their way to the entrance. Ruby stood up soon after as she felt arms wrap around her firmly.

"I need you hun, and no matter what happens, please..." The heiress spoke, softness and care in her tone.

"I know Weiss, I'm not gonna leave you hanging there alone." The redhead replied, turning her head to meet her girlfriend's concerned gaze. "I'm with you."

Weiss smiled, pulling the cookie crusader in for a kiss before she walked with her to the entrance. The duo had just arrived as Winter opened the door, letting two people in as she shut it behind them.

"Good afternoon mother, Sinthya." Winter greeted formally as the two females turned to her, a look of uncertainty evident in her strict complexion as the two waltzed in. Weiss and Ruby zoned in a little more to the two. One was a small, thin looking girl who appeared to be in her teens, bleach blonde hair with a noticeable red streak in her bangs, and a beige winter fur coat with white trim, her bottom looked to just be white stockings and matching white high heels. The other, a more matured, older woman to be estimated in her thirty's, with short, white hair, light blue eye-shadow that magnified her matching eye colour, She had on an expensive looking white peacoat with a small skirt popping out underneath of the same colour, black stockings and white fur boots. The very sight of the two made not only Weiss, but even Ruby shiver a little as the duo walked up to William and the Cirous'.

"Ah, William. It's so delightful to see you again. I was afraid when I saw the news this morning that you'd be unable to attend the business trip to Vacuo in a week. It's good to see that you are more than capable of going." The woman spoke, a butler taking off her jacket and placing it with the smaller woman's on his arm as he left. "Though I must ask, what was the dire reason for dropping everything so suddenly, hmm?"

William cleared his throat. "My family needed me, so I had to leave," he spoke, his look changing to uncomfortable with each passing second. "Nothing more, nothing less."

The short, white haired woman snorted. "Ah, but this would be the _second_ time you've left important business to go meddle with family. William, you are becoming more and more of a liability to me if you keep this up," she stated, tapping his cheek lightly as she looked to the Cirous'. "But I don't blame you. You are notorious for leaving things to other people."

A nerve was clearly struck in William as a look of frustration dawned on his face. "Colleen..."

"Now now, I am only teasing. Lighten up a bit William," The woman returned walking over to Winter. "Ah, my darling, how have you been?"

"Alright mother. Busy as usual." Winter replied, a similar look of uncomfort in her complexion.

"Not so busy though it seems. I heard about what happened to your mansion, those petty thugs called the White Fang. I've never even heard of them being near Atlas before, but something must've drove them up here for them to attack so suddenly." Colleen stated, making the other Schnee tense up a bit.

The mother continued to interrogate her daughter, as the younger walked around the older Schnee, making Winter nervous as ever. Not wanting to hear any more, Ruby turned her gaze to her girlfriend, who had an uneasy look as she watched her sister being mauled by the woman.

"Geez Weiss, is your mother always like this?" Ruby asked, making Weiss turn her head to her.

"Only when she wants information out of people. She can pull even the deepest of secrets out of the thickest of people. And her trump card, that little devil of a tail called my _other_ step-sister, can really add to the nervous interrogation moment." The heiress responded.

"Is she okay?" The redhead asked, confusion masked on the white haired teen. "I mean, is she a nice person or even a decent girl?"

Weiss snorted. "Ha, yeah right. She's almost a _spitting_ image of that witch. We call her the apprentice because she seems to have the same mindset of her, cold, twisted, and too good for anyone or anything. Which is funny to watch though sometimes, cause when we screw around with her, she gets a nervous twitch that just screams 'imperfect'," The girl sighed. "I feel sorry for Winter though. I'd break down if they started to circle me like vultures, so she's doing really well."

Finally, after interrogating the white haired woman well enough, she snapped her gaze over to the duo at the other side of the entrance. They trotted down slowly to them, eyes fixed on the heiress, though the apprentice seemed to narrow in a bit on the redhead a little more. The couple swallowed hard, Weiss tapping her girlfriend's hand as she easily accepted it and walked ahead a bit to hide the gesture as they finally neared the two.

"Ah, and Weiss. I've missed you so. I didn't know you were coming down for a visit, that must explain the abrupt absence of your father yesterday," The snake of a woman spoke, turning her head to glance at the man, who nearly froze up as she smirked deviously. "And that would also make it the second time you've pried him from his duties, now wouldn't it?"

Weiss frowned a bit. "It's not like I make him do it intentionally. He has free-will to come see me, he's not your dog." The heiress spat back, this time making the woman's smirk fade to a more unamused look. And Will's turning to a shit-eating grin.

"That is true, of course. But onto another page, who's _this_ young, little redhead behind you?" Colleen cocked her head to the side, looking at the girl behind her daughter. "You've finally made a friend Weiss?"

Ruby cleared her throat as she let go of the heiress' hand and walked forward to the woman, extending out her now-free hand as she gave the woman a smile. "Hi there. I'm Ruby!" She greeted.

The white haired woman looked at the girl head-to-toe, noticing two things, her injured arm, _and_ her shining silver eyes. "Well. It is a pleasure to meet you, miss..?"

"R-Rose.." Ruby responded,her hand still held out as she awaited a gesture of some kind.

"Ah, ms. Rose. Unfortunately, I do not shake hands with someone unless it's business related." Colleen shot, making the injured huntress' hand lower in nervousness.

"O-oh, my bad!" The redhead returned, keeping her happy complexion strong. "And you are?"

"Colleen Ironwood, you might've heard of James Ironwood?" The alabaster witch asked, making the girl's head nod. "Well, he's my brother. He also happens to run the Atlesian military."

The younger witchling stepped up from behind, eyes affixed on the redhead. "And I am Eryn Ironwood, daughter of Colleen Ironwood. It is.. _delightful_ to meet you." She greeted with a bow as a dark grin formed on her lips, making Ruby shudder a bit.

"So tell me Weiss, have you trained her to be the best?" Colleen asked, making the heiress' brow lower in confusion.

"Pardon?"

"Well, you must be the leader of a team now correct? And I'm assuming she's one of your partners, so you must've put her in her place like the other's when you became the leader," Colleen stated, Weiss' face going angry as her frustration grew within. "You _do_ discipline them, right?"

"First of all, I would _never_ , hurt anyone for no particular reason. _Especially her_ ," Weiss spoke, anger evident in her tone. "Second, I wasn't picked to be the leader of my team, and quite frankly, I'm content with that. I am one of the 'partners' of the team, Ruby is the leader of it."

The 'mother' of the Schnee's looked flabbergasted, yet surprisingly, confident. As if she had a new leash to use to tug at the heiress' nerves. "Oh, so you weren't _good_ enough to be-"

"Weiss is more than good enough to be a leader. In my opinion, she's good enough to be whomever she chooses to be," Ruby interrupted, walking back to where the heiress-in-question was, who somewhat stepped back a bit as the red clad and the apprentice greeted. "It wasn't her choosing as it wasn't mine either, it was decided according to the headmaster's decision. I've seen her take the lead, and she's good at taking charge too. But you can't blame her for something that wasn't in her position to say."

The woman cleared her throat, her face too changing to frustrated. "I'm sorry, but did I ask for your imput miss? She could've easily taken the role had she tried harder to achieve it. And quite clearly, you've rubbed off a bit on her too, because I see the same amount of lacking skill in _you_ as I see in her."

That set off the white haired girlfriend, her face turning to a snarl as she opened her mouth to speak. "Hey, you don't talk to-"

Ruby placed a gentle hand on the heiress' shoulder, making the girl stop mid-sentence as she looked beside her. The redhead sported a simple comforting smirk, shaking her head slowly as she stepped up to bat. "It's alright Weiss, I've got this." The hooded peacemaker said, turning back to the woman. "I understand that you want your daughter to achieve greatness. That I get, I want to be the best huntress there is and protect those who can't protect themselves. But what you are asking of her is _impossible_. The best of machines cannot do that, even the best-of-the-best hunters and huntresses can't do what you ask from her. Yet you somehow believe that making her train her absolute hardest will turn her into the perfect huntress you so seek. You clearly have _no_ clue as to how hunter's and huntress' operate, else you would understand that the power you seek is fictional."

The woman's face turned sour as anger rose in her complexion, the younger walking up to her as she crossed her arms, defending her mother. "I'm afraid you're wrong, miss Rose. If _you_ had done your research, you would've already known that the Atlesian army, my uncle, is making a hunter droid with capabilities beyond what hunters and huntresses could even be close to attaining. It's designed to target and eliminate threats easily and can sustain any challenge it's thrown at, fire, water, wind, obstacles. You name it-"

"The R/N 1.0, or Raiden Noir beta, as they call it, will fail. I don't mean to speak badly about the Atlesian army or their works, after all, I'm a weapon and robot fanatic. But the bots are destined to be flawed and unreliable. The design is riddled with mistakes and even the system which it operates is unimaginably diverse. It will never work, even if they wanted it to." Ruby interrupted her mid-speech, making the younger cringe as she too sported an angry look, though the redhead's remained the same content smile. "I'm no war engineer or programmer, but I can see it's first issue would be depicting which is enemy and which friendly. And it only grows from there. But hey, this is just coming from a girl who has destroyed more of those droids in practice than a metal crusher and even reprogrammed a few of them to increase their difficulty level beyond their maximum limit. So don't take it from me, you'll find out eventually."

Ruby turned her head to the alabaster girl, who was slightly awestruck at the amount of information just spoken. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need Weiss to help me with my pain medication and to get a glass of milk. I hope to talk to you later though!" She concluded, taking Weiss' hand as she dragged her along. "Bye!"

The duo walked into the kitchen area, leaving the issue of the mother to the rest of the family, slight sounds of cursing and other negative comments easily heard from them as they left. Ruby pulled her prescription bottle from her pocket, placing it on the counter as she opened one of the cupboards. "Weiss, can you reach that glass for me please?" Ruby politely asked the heiress, turning around to see the girl hadn't moved at all since she let go of her hand in the kitchen area. Concern growing in the hooded girl, she walked a little closer to the girl, trying to make eye contact with her. "Weiss?"

Suddenly, the alabaster girl started to giggle softly. The giggling turning to a chuckle. More and more did it grow before the white haired girl was laughing wholeheartedly. "Hehehe, Ruby.. I've confronted her so many times after my parents separated, never have I EVER seen that stupid look on her after you dished her a good one, ever," She stated, wiping a tear from her eye in pleasure. "Thank you. I've waited so long for that bitch to get muzzled for once. You're the best, you know that?"

Weiss walked up to the red scythe wielder, enveloping her in a firm, yet cautious hug as she kissed her temple. "Thank you for that."

Ruby smirked. "Of course Weiss. You know I'd defend you from whatever threat gets thrown at us, I've always been there."

Weiss chuckled again. "Yeah, I know. I remember all the trips up to the hospital," She responded. "Trust me, I never forget those."

"O-okay. So I guess I'm a little... accident prone, but it's all in good will! I don't go there often because I'm a suicidal person!" Ruby protested, the older simply pat her head.

"I know hun, I know that's not why." Weiss replied, returning to the task at hand as she went to get a glass.

* * *

 _About 4 hours later._

The white rose couple took the liberty of taking a small tour around the mansion. While most of the house was slightly similar to Winter's, it was still a new experience for at least Ruby as they strolled down the back walkway to the pond that overlooked the backyard. It was a beautiful sight as the two came up to a small area with heating blankets on the dirt, keeping the medium sized square toasty warm as the two sat down. They both let out a breath of enlightenment as the two adored the view.

"You know Weiss, I really like your family," Ruby spoke, leaning back as she propped her elbows behind her. "Though your actual mother is a bit... rude, I'm grateful for meeting the ones responsible for raising such a beautiful girl. They feel almost like a second family to me."

Weiss hummed in acknowledgement, turning her gaze towards the laid back redhead. "You know, I was really skeptical about coming here, I was almost tempted to call it off for another time."

"Why?" Ruby asked, fully laying back as she listened for the heiress' response.

"Well, I've told you a little about my parents and my sister, but I've never really explained _my_ role in the Schnee family. And to sum it up, not much. I was forced between my mom and dad during the divorce, coming to see the two was hard for me. My mother hated me, she still does to this day, for something I do not fully understand. She'd beat me constantly, forced me to do the impossible. When I finally told my dad about it, it set him off, and finally ended the custody battle. But by the time he won it was too late, the damage was done. I grew up with the persona that I had to be the very best, and it drove away anyone who tried to be friends with me. That witch of a woman caused this scar, on my left eye. She dragged me to our training room one day, furious as always, and decided doing a slight twist from our usual endless training. That change cost me my scar, and nearly my life,"

Weiss tucked in her knees as she rested her arms around them. "And I couldn't help but know that nobody would care if I died.."

The heiress stared at the pond, as if looking at a portal to the past. Ruby noticed the slight change in attitude, a feeling of guilt waving over her as she was the one who brought it up. ' _goddammit Ruby! I just had to ask didn't I? Now I've made her sad._ ' She thought as she scooted closer to the heiress.

"I-I'm sorry Weiss, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories." The redhead apologized, rubbing the white haired girl's back. Said girl returned her eyes to the hooded girl, giving her a relieved grin.

"It's okay Ruby. You had no idea, I could never hold you against it," Weiss said, cupping Ruby's chin. "Besides, my life has changed a lot since then. Who I described was a past heiress Weiss Schnee, the new-and-improved model has lots of warm and comforting friends, a warmer bed filled with better thoughts and memories, a nice education and working environment. And best of all, a loving individual that I can at least look forward to if I ever have a bad day, who's childish and funny, smart and kind, and most importantly, keeps me warm and has thawed the ice that has plagued my heart for too long."

Ruby smirked a bit as the heiress described her so amazingly, pushing away any thoughts of regret as Weiss laid down, wrapping her arms around the redhead's hips. The crimson girl smiled as she too laid down, adjusting her cape as she draped it over them both. The heiress placed a quick kiss on the hooded girl's cheek before carefully resting on her right shoulder, making sure not to put too much pressure near the arm that connected to it. The moment was short lived, though as the sliding door to the back of the house swooshed open, stepping out a figure.

"Weiss! Ruby! It's time to say goodbye to mother!" The voice belonging to Winter bellowed to the couple, making said couple turn their heads to see the older Schnee sibling.

"I've already seen mother today! Just tell her I said bye!" Weiss shouted back. Though something hinted to the couple that something was up through the white haired woman's face. Winter waved for them to come, a slight look of worry on her as she did so, making the duo get up as they trotted over to her.

"I have a bad feeling sis, she has that disgusted bitch-face on her and she won't leave the house until you and _Ruby_ see her." Winter spoke as the two neared her, in a hushed tone of voice.

"What?! Why?!" Weiss asked, both confused and frustratedly mad.

"I don't know, but she's been talking to her little witchling apprentice in private, I have a bad feeling she's gonna do something rash."

"Well, that makes two of us!" Weiss nearly shouted, grabbing the redhead's free hand as she marched up the stairs and into the entranceway, a maddening look that even Ruby had never seen or heard of spewed from the heiress' forehead down as she entered the room with the devilish duo.

"Alright. You want me, and apparently Ruby too, what is it you so seek?" Weiss asked in her raised tone, not caring if she still held her girlfriend's hand. Though the redhead felt otherwise as the white haired girl was somewhat crushing it due to the odacity of the woman before them.

"Well, I seen the way you act around this... what's the best word for the little red hood?" Colleen asked, scratching her chin as she paced side-to-side at her end of the room.

"girl?" Weiss answered, slight confusion in the meaning for it.

"No, no no. What's a good word for a 'girl' like her Eryn?" The white haired woman asked her other half, quoting the noun. The other white haired woman noticed the rather stifling tone in her voice, Ruby seeing the heiress clearly. Her anger building slowly, but surely as did her grip. The hooded girl was starting to feel uncomfortable, wriggling her hand out somehow as the heiress didn't seem to notice the missing limb.

"What, _Queer_? _Dyke_?" Eryn suggested, "How about _mistake_?"

The older woman snapped her fingers. "That's the word. Mistake, because she is mistaken for even _thinking_ she would ever have my daughter. You young child seem to think that you can match the same level of graciousness and etiquette as the heiress before you. Though while Weiss may have lost her edge since she's made the error of moving to Vale to attend Beacon, she is and will _never_ be good enough for you, mistaken little dyke," Colleen stated, marching up like a soldier and speaking high and mighty like a queen of a castle, whom Weiss and Ruby both knew was Nora's role. "Now step away from Weiss, before you spread your infectious disease over to my precious little girl."

The way the woman spoke made EVERYONE in the room, even the dog, look at her in utter shock and disbelief. Everyone, except for Ruby. She wasn't mad, nor upset. In fact she wasn't even scared or intimidated by the woman. She, was neutral,

apparently more neutral than anyone in the building it seemed.

"What.." the first to speak was Weiss, her face melted from the blistering fury that could be clearly seen bubbling at the core. "Are you implying?"

"I've observed how you two have went around the Schnee mansion, holding hands and emitting this, disgusting sentimental bond between each other. I finally watched you kiss her on the cheek, and I've had enough! You think I didn't notice, well I've seen quite enough. You've not only horrified me, but your darling step-sister too! You should feel shame you disgusting lesbo!" Colleen spat, looking at the red hooded girl. "Weiss! Get away from her, before she turns you into a dyke like herself!"

Weiss started to laugh, maniacally almost, at the words shot at the two. "You make absolutely **NO FUCKING SENSE!?** You've destroyed me, turned me into a block of ice and thrown in the freezer of despair, what with your intense 'shaping' and utter lies about who I should be. I've learned a lot by myself. I've learned the sense of right and wrong, I've learned how the world really works in a sense, I've even learned how to be myself. But all YOU seen was fault, problem, error after error. You've NEVER CARED FOR ME!" Weiss shouted, not holding back any control as she spoke. "Even after I left for Beacon, you never cared. But all of a sudden, I get on my own two feet, I make good friends, I fight for what's right, and most importantly I find one person I love more than anything. And you all of a sudden have the audacity to lie and say you love me and want to pry me from the place I now call home?!"

The angered heiress stomped closer to her mother, a furious blaze in her eyes as she veered in at a neutral distance. "I've been meaning to say a few things to you when I met you again, and it's been something I've been meaning to awhile now. The reason Ruby is so close to me is not only because we _are_ together, her and I are dating. But because she cares about me, she has thawed out my frozen heart you so imprisoned! You are a _dead, cold, spineless, rotten, evil, lying, two-faced_ _ **bitch!**_ "

The mother of the heiress looked at her in shock and awe, words seeming to diminish in the air as the thick fog of tension emitted in the entranceway. Suddenly, the mother's frozen face formed to a more angered one as she started to march up to the white haired girl. Ruby had a bad feeling and started to trot up to the heiress as well, nearing her surprisingly before the mother did, stepping in-between the two.

"Let's be reasonable now, I know this is all so sudd-"

 **SMACK!**

Ruby was abruptly halted in her icebreaking speech as a hard hand from the mother came dead-on in contact with the redhead's cheek, the force of the blow so mighty it caused the hooded girl spin a bit in the air as she landed on her front, clenching in pain, slightly from the slap, but more from her arm as she screamed. The redhead curled up into a ball as she tried to contain the amount of agony coming through her body. Aria and Winter crouched down to the pain-stricken girl as they helped her up slowly, while William watched the event in shock.

"Colleen, what the fuck?!" William shouted, looking at the devilish woman.

Colleen simply smirked at the sight of the girl. Tears in her eyes as she panted lightly as to contain the amount of immense throbbing in her arm, sniffling away the small streaks that threatened to slide down her face.

"Hmm! Well, that works for me too. And it serves you right for stepping in the way twice now." The woman stated, returning her arms to their original spot behind her back. She turned her gaze to meet Weiss', though disappeared as she looked around for her.

" **You, threaten my life, call me names, beat me, discipline me, hurt me, break my heart many, many times, but now you've crossed the line, hurting my girl was the LAST straw.** " Weiss spoke, to her side as she scraped Myrtenaster on the tile floor, sparks flying as a dark aura recceeded her. She changed the dust revolver to white, a feint matching colour emitting from the rapier as she spun it into her signature hold. "Now it is my turn, to discipline _you._ "

Weiss shot at the woman, a fury of slashes following her as she attacked the witch. The attacks strewn behind her as if tiny explosions cast through the blade. The heiress' attacks weren't as elegant and graceful as they usually were, instead they were thorough and unforgiving as she kept up the immensely fast assault on the white haired woman. Finally, she spawned a glyph behind her in her similar quick pace as she leapt onto it, charging the attack almost as a second dawned before she shot back at the woman in a spinning-thrusting motion. White light engulfing her and dipping at the blade as the woman was sent flying through the door, smashing through it and landing just before the parking lot in the snow. The same white glow dancing in the air like a strong scent, the smell of revenge.

The whole family watched the event, though shock was no longer evident after the series of events, and to be honest, the family was leaning more towards glad than disappointed for that. Eryn looked at the raging heiress before her, then the door, then back. Weiss noticed this and turned her body in a ready, yet stable stance as her right side stuck out, her smoking hot Myrtenaster switching to the red cartridge as the blade caught fire and she slowly trekked forward.

"You are just the same as that putrid woman, now you will share her fate." Weiss said as she moved on. Eryn noticed this, retreating to the door as she jumped through the hole.

" **AND NEVER COME BACK!** "

The white haired girl spun her rapier in her hands, sheathing the weapon as the flames went out. Weiss ran back to Ruby, sliding down as she looked at the sleeping redhead before her.

"R-Ruby.." Weiss muttered, tears starting to form. "I-is she alright?"

"She's fine Weiss," Winter stated, cradling the hooded girl in her arms. "I gave her a stronger painkiller. It works great but it makes you tired. I also checked her arm, it's fine. Ruby said she landed on her shoulder mostly, she just laid down on it rather harshly, causing her pain. It's not broken or anything."

Weiss sighed in relief, chuckling a bit as she wiped away a few tears in her eyes. "Oh, thank god."

" _Thank god she's alright._ "

 **Heyo, I'm back. So I hope to read some reviews about it, cuz believe it or not, I love reading your thoughts and opinions, be it good or bad. So anyway, I hope to have the actual chapter out in maybe a week or two. So stay tuned.**

 **Fuck me man...**


	13. Unwanted Guests

**Heyo! Welcome back everyone. I'm just gonna do a quick rant. So I finally got it, I did my road test thursday, and I finally got my G2! YEAS BITCH! So yeah, that happened. Secondly, my wifi's been out again, but I've been working and I finally wrote something I am pretty satisfied with. I'll most likely work with Topaz on BOA next, so stay tuned for that. Lastly, I wanna do a quick recommendation to you guys. I've been reading a lot of NobleMETA's work, and I really like it. So I thought I'd do a quick S/O to him, I love his work and hope to read more of it. For those who don't know him he's a really good writer imo, I read one of his works dubbed: _Life of a White Rose_. I really fucking loved it, and I definitely recommend it to all you white rose fans. It's a long shot, but in hopes that Noble reads this, I enjoy your work and I'd love to hear your thoughts on mine. Keep on going man, pce.**

 **Story Notes: Alright, so first off the morning scenes take place in William's mansion. The restaurant the couple goes to (Jim Norton's) is just a rip off of Tim Horton's. For most of you who don't live where I am Tim's is a canadian fast food restaurant and coffee shop, their coffee's amazing btw. The end scene contains a little bit of violence, but mostly explains some shit. So yeah, I hope you like.**

* * *

The room was silent and peaceful as the two team members slept soundly in the queen-sized bed. Ruby was the first to come to her senses, taking in the sweet sounds of birds chirping and the pleasant scent of lavender. She opened her eyes slowly, basking in the beautiful sight before her. The heiress, Weiss Schnee, sound asleep with her arms snugly wrapped around the red girl. Hints of docile breathing patterns evident in her chest as it expanded and contracted calmly. Ruby smirked, taking in the blissful sight of the white haired girl before her.

' _She's the best,_ ' Ruby thought, giving the sleeping heiress a peck on the nose. ' _I don't know what I did to deserve her, but I'm definitely thankful for being able to wake up to this._ '

Ruby slowly lifted the sleeping girl's arm up, wiggling out of the embrace as she carefully set it down and got up. The young huntress returned to the bedside with white short-shorts that belonged to the heiress, a frilled black top and a pair of strawberry patterned black socks. Ruby slipped on the torso and shorts in no-time, sitting down on the bed as she put on the last bit of clothing at her disposal.

As the redhead bent down to make adjustments to her socks. Something grabbed the girl and pulled her up, wrapping the redhead in a familiar blanket as arms firmly held the girl in place. Ruby gasped in shock, but was soon replaced with an enveloping warmth and ease as she tried to hold back a smile.

"Good morning princess." Ruby greeted, turning her head to meet the person behind her captivity, wearing the comforter like a hooded robe as she gave a smirk.

"Morning, my little rose." Weiss returned, making the redhead turn her head to give Weiss a kiss. Ruby relaxed a bit in the heiress' grip, resting her cheek on the girl's clavicle as she hummed in bliss. Weiss smiled as she coursed her fingers in the shorter girl's hair, massaging the scalp gently and creating a lovely moan from the redhead. Weiss continued the barrage as she moved up and down Ruby's head, making the girl mellow out completely as she moaned louder, not caring who heard it.

The moment was short lived as the doorknob turned and opened, making both girls jump away quickly as they scrambled. Ruby ended up landing on the floor with a _thud_ , meanwhile Weiss jumped the opposite direction, smacking the back of her head with one of the protruding bed posts as she let out a small 'yipe'.

"Oh, dear Oum. I'm so sorry for intruding on your... personal time." Winter apologized, turning her head away as she shielded her eyes with her hand. Weiss groaned.

"Winter, for god sakes. First of all, you can knock you dunce!" Weiss shot back, "and second, nothing happened! I was just rubbing Ruby's head."

"Which.. now hurts.. for the record..." Ruby groaned at the other side of the bed as little comical grimm creatures danced around her head.

"Well, I digress. Breakfast is ready." Winter replied, exiting the bedroom as she closed the door.

Meanwhile Weiss picked Ruby back up, rubbing the injured girl's head as she set her back down on the bed and went to change. She returned to the bedroom in a white sweater and blue shorts, along with slippers with the SDC logo on them. After Ruby took her medicine, the duo headed downstairs. They walked into the dining room to find the whole family around the table, a butler pouring Winter a cup of coffee and another placing a plate down for William. The White Rose couple greeted them all as they too sat down, delving into the buffet of breakfast items.

* * *

The family all slouched in their chairs as their meal was over. The waiters and waitresses taking the food ridden plates as they started loading the buffet items on a trolley, replacing the items with mugs and teacups as they placed down coffee and tea kettles filled to the brim with the hot liquids. Winter and Weiss both replenished their cups of coffee, Weiss taking a lump of sugar as did the older Schnee sibling, only adding milk to hers. Ruby decided to try the other beverage, finding a Mistralian rose flavoured tea as she poured the hot water atop and adding some milk to it. Just as father Schnee was going to grab the coffee pot, a sudden ring resonated from his pocket, retreating from the coffee as he dug in his pocket for the cause of the sound. The white haired man pulled out his scroll as he quickly answered it, getting up from his spot.

"Hello, William Schnee speaking..." Will answered, trotting over to the accompanying room for privacy as he shut the door behind him.

"So Weiss, Ruby, How did you two meet?" Aria asked, breaking the quickly spurring silence. "If you don't mind me asking."

"Well, it wasn't exactly the best way. We met at the walkway of Beacon academy," Weiss spoke, turning to the redhead. "This little dolt crashed into my belongings, so I scolded her for her thick-headedness, and the next thing I knew she sneezed and sent me ablaze with fire dust."

Ruby looked down in disappointment. "I didn't mean to, dust makes me sneeze sometimes," She stated, tapping her two index fingers together in guilt.

Weiss smirked, rubbing Ruby's head. "But after meeting up with her during our initiation in Emerald forest, I kinda started to grow a little fondness for her. She's outgoing and fun. Reckless sometimes, but good willed and kind-hearted," Weiss stated, making the saddened girl quickly brighten up. "Now that I think of it, that was also the time I started to develop feelings for her. After initiation was over, and our team was formed, I saw this utter happiness that always shimmered in her eyes, and I fell for her."

Aria smirked. "Aww, that's sweet. You two are perfect for each other," she spoke, resting her chin on her intertwined hands that sat perched on the table. "So you two've been going out since then."

"Erm, not really. I never knew Ruby liked me that way, and I didn't want to destroy our friendship by telling her I was gay. I actually found out by overhearing one of her conversations with her sister Yang. After that I started thinking of how to come out to her, and I officially did near the end of the summer break, on top of our dormitory's rooftop."

"Wait, what's gay mean?" Mai asked, scratching her head in confusion. "Is it like a condition or something?"

Weiss shook her hand, a 'kinda' look accompanying it. "Somewhat. Gay means that you find the same gender as yourself appealing. If you like another girl like yourself, you are gay." Weiss explained briefly, using Mai as an example as she pointed to her at the end.

Mai nodded her head in understanding, rubbing her chin before her eyes widened. "Oh my god! One of my friends said they were gay! Can I catch, um.. being gay?!"

Weiss laughed, Ruby eliciting a small giggle too. "No no, *hehe* you can't catch 'gay', it's not an illness. It's just a feeling, an emotion," The heiress replied, wiping a tear from her eye. "But it can mean a lot to some people if they tell you they are gay, so whoever told you trusts you a lot."

Mai gave a nod of understanding before taking a drink of her milk. "But how come?" she asked.

Weiss gave the girl a confusing look. "What do you mean?"

"How come it means so much to her that she told me? She said to me straight up that she doesn't like me that way, and it doesn't change our friendship at all. So why does it matter so much that she's gay?"

Ruby snorted. "Oh, I wish to god that more people would have the same opinion as you do." The redhead responded, taking a sip of her tea before readjusting in her seat. "People are stuck up, self-centered, and more importantly, cruel to lesbians and homosexuals than they are to straight couples. They all have opinions Mai, and if they don't like what they see, they stick their nose right where it doesn't belong. I've had many people call me... well, very bad names just because of being lesbian. I've had so many people tell me they're disgusted, I could probably fill them all on one bleacher. So basically, coming out to someone is more than just a saying, a level of trust. It's a commitment and a mark that can either bite you in the aaaa.. I mean, butt, or can help develop a bigger bond to people you share the new found knowledge with," Ruby explained, "and believe me, I speak entirely from experience."

Mai's lips curled into a slight frown. "Jeez, that sounds terrible. It seems like a lot of trouble just to like another person of the same gender."

"And that's just an example, that's not the entirety to being gay. Then you have to find out whether or not the person likes you back, and most aren't gay. It can be really taxing and some find themselves condemning their own interests so that they don't feel rejected not only from their friends, but from society sometimes." Ruby continued, making the shorter pink haired girl sigh.

"Jeez, is there ANY good side to it?" Mai asked, scratching her head. "Cause it sounds like being gay's a waste of time, no offense."

"Well, there is a few. One good side is that gay relationships tend to be more fulfilled and compassionate than straight ones sometimes. Don't get me wrong, straight ones do too. But there are a lot of relationships that tend to be negative and deceiving, marriages sometimes don't work, and couples often don't last long together. But gay relationships are different in a sense, they tend to last longer. I don't know for sure, but I think it's because they are the same gender, they kinda have the same mentality and the same feelings towards the other when it comes to that," Ruby shrugged. "Like I said, I'm not certain, I'm not a 'love doctor'. But I have friends in gay relationships that have been together for years, some almost decades, and they still are together to this day."

"Another, and I think this is more of the thought process to it from society's point of view. But gay relationships are kinda special, they're unique. Like Ruby said, often people aren't gay. So when you find someone of the same sex attractive that also likes you that way, it's a unique feeling that not a lot of people have." Weiss added, drinking from her coffee cup.

"Might I also add," Winter interjected, "dating someone of the same sex also provides the person with extra supplies too sometimes. Shampoo, curling irons, clothes."  
Weiss gave Winter a cold stare, making the woman's hands shoot up. "What?! I'm just saying it's nice to have the advantage of being able to use your love's stuff sometimes!"

"Women share clothes and stuff like that even if they're friends!" Weiss shot back. "You're not giving Mai the best of examples."

"Well, what was I supposed to say? Personal products? Like tam-"

"OKAY! I'd rather not know what you share with your girlfriend, let her find that stuff out in health class." Weiss spoke, making the older Schnee shrug.

"For the record, I don't do that OFTEN, it's just good to have a little backup sometimes if you don't have any more of your own, correct?"

Weiss sighed. "But anyway, yeah. It might sound a little pointless right now, considering A) you don't roll that way, I don't know for sure, but in case you don't. And B) you probably aren't dating or considering others attractive. But it'll make more sense as you get older and you start to see more couples out there." She spoke, earning a nod from both Mai and her mother Aria.

"But trust me, and Weiss and Ruby are good examples, when I say that it is definitely worth it in the end. Because at the end of the day we're all still human beings, capable of loving who we find attractive. And those who disagree and discourage have no say in _our_ lives."

Both Ruby and Weiss nodded in unison.

"I agree."

"Totally."

After Winter's concluding statement William walked back into the dining room, giving small 'yeah's and 'okay's before finally bidding farewell to the person on the other end of the call.

"Okay, so umm.. we have a slight problem." Will stated, pocketing his phone in his breast pocket.

"What is it father?" Winter asked, concern edging on her face as she looked at the standing Schnee.

"Well, that was your mother on the phone. She saw the news this morning about the attack last night. Long story short, she's requested all of us to go to Schnee HQ to show her we're all fine. She's sent a bird our way and has offered to have us for lunch."

"Denied." Weiss stated, her cold, stiff stature forming at the lips as she said the word.

"Weiss, come on-"

"NO!" The heiress shouted, "I will not just up-and go to a place I do not feel welcome at, and face a woman I do not feel appreciated near, whom somehow happens to be the very person who's birthed me."

"Weiss, I know it's hard to see eye-to-eye with her, just hear me out please?" Will asked, clasping his hands together in prayer. Weiss sat unmoved for a good moment, before finally sighing as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Fine. It will do nothing to change my aptitude of that place though," The alabaster princess stated, "for the record."

William sighed slightly, before continuing. "I told her the same thing you did, you didn't want to see her. When she found out you were here she begged for you to come see her just once. She wants to see you again, see how much you've grown and stuff before she continues with her usual business with me. And you won't be alone. Aria, Mai and Winter will be there beside you to back you up," he bargained ever-so desperately. "Please Weiss, just once, and then you can take the bullhead back home."

"Why is this so important to you?" Weiss asked, slightly frustrated. "She means nothing to me so why-"

Weiss' argumentative statement was cut short when Ruby grabbed the heiress' elbow, tugging it firmly and directing her attention to her girlfriend. "Weiss... You should at least confirm with her you're alright in person, even if you don't like her," Ruby spoke in her instructive, yet soft voice. A mix of caring, yet commanding. "She's worried about you. For reasons unknown, but she's still your mom. You should at least give her the affirmation that all mothers prioritize in that her child is safe. It's an instinct all moms possess."

Weiss' frustrated face mellowed out to caring and calm from Ruby's words of wisdom. "What's your opinion on it?" She asked.

"Does my opinion really matter?"

"Believe it or not, more than mine sometimes." Weiss admitted. "This would be one of them."

Ruby thought about it a bit. "Well. I've never seen the Schnee Dust Company building before. Could you give me a tour?" Ruby asked, giving her best puppy-dog face possible.

Weiss stared at the adorable face Ruby emitted for the longest minute. Finally, lowering her head as a large sigh left her, turning back to her father afterwards.

"I guess... I'll check in with her.." The heiress finally concluded, though somewhat forced and hollowly spoken. Will smiled as he nodded, and Ruby jumped up in glee as she gave Weiss the biggest hug possible for her size, making the girl's mood lighten up slightly as she smirked.

* * *

Ruby stared out through the window of the airship in glee, a twinkle in her eyes as the ship flew over the buildings and around the skyscrapers of the large city. Weiss smirked at the redhead, though her mood was somewhat glum due to having to go see the witch she called 'mother'. She was at least glad to bring her loving, somewhat-childish girlfriend alongside her. Ruby seemed somewhat saddened by the fact that her girlfriend and mother didn't get along well. Though she tried to hide her feelings well, Weiss could still hear it in her voice the moment the topic prevailed.

' _Now that I think of it, I've never really heard her mention her mom EVER..._ ' Weiss thought, still watching the girl-in-topic. ' _Though I don't blame her, I've never really questioned her on it, other than that one night. But she seems to hold a..hidden feeling to it, like it triggers something._ '

Weiss sighed slightly, quiet enough that no one in the private airship heard it. ' _I hope her depression isn't worsening because of it. It seems like a sensitive subject to her._ '

' _I hope I can at least be of help to her..._ '

The heiress closed her eyes as she thought of the crimsonette in a sad state of mind, remembering the cuts on her wrist from the summer. Just picturing it heaved on the white haired girl's heart, creating a pain in her chest as a tear threatened to come out. Weiss fought it though as it disappeared right back in her eye duct.

' _I_ _ **won't**_ _let her feel that pain again. I will be there for her this time, should it arise._ '

Weiss was jerked back to reality by a firm, warm, small hand grabbing her left one, intertwining her finger's with the heiress as she wrapped the other around her arm. "Weiss? Are you okay?" Ruby asked in a concerned tone.

"Wha-Yeah. Yes, I was just.. thinking on which store had the most treats around Atlas. After the tour was done I was thinking we could go out for lunch and maybe do some shopping, get you some more clothes." Weiss replied, trying her best to sound believable, though was somewhat hard as she was on the verge of tears not a minute ago.

"Really?!" Ruby exclaimed, her eyes lighting up like two live wires touching each other. "Which has the best?!"

Weiss smirked as she started to explain the different stores that housed the infamous sugary treats. It lasted about ten minutes before the airship landed on the Schnee Company building. The attendants all left the airship as they proceeded towards the elevators. After arriving at the floor and entering the corridor to the main office building, the family all entered the CEO's room. It had a blueish-white look all around that seemed to sport darkness even in the bright colour. At the end of the room sat a desk, along with a few chairs to sit in. There was also a bunch of different toys, plagues, medals, pictures and even a foosball table around the room. The family waltzed up to the only desk in the room, the person in the chair spinning around to face the newcomers as they approached. There sat a pale looking woman who looked to be in her thirties with similar ice blue eyes as the Schnee siblings, a light blue shadow that magnified her cold appearance and black hair with a white streak on the left side that was done into a tight bun. The woman wore a light blue dress shirt with a white business suit, white business skirt and black heels. A single platinum necklace rested around her neck, along with white gloves and a few platinum bracelets to tie it all in. Ruby stared at the woman in the seat, watching in slight awe.

' _My god, she's pretty. I mean, she's not my type; she's a little too formal, looks a little more like a business associate than a woman, and's kinda cold at first glance. But damn,_ ' Ruby admitted in her mind. ' _Now I see where Weiss and Winter get their stunning looks from._ '

"Ah, William!" The woman spoke as she stood up, sporting a small smirk. "It's good to see you are still alive after the dilemma at Winter's mansion."

"Yes," Will replied, his voice stern, yet uncomfortable as he agreed. "I'm glad to have made it out alive after almost getting stabbed by the leader."

"And Winter, I'm terribly sorry about your house going to shambles after those hooligan faunus the White Fang trashed such a prestigious place. I promise you that General Ironwood is getting the information out of those scoundrels as we speak, the destruction of your estate will not go unpunished." The mother of the Schnee's spoke.

"Yes, I've been informed," Winter spoke in a generally kind manner. "Still no info as to where they were headed or what the attack was for though unfortunately."

"Well rest assured, Ironwood's got his best men on the job."

The black haired woman bowed to the older Schnee sibling, whom returned the bow as the former moved on to the heiress.

"Ah, Weiss. It's good to see you again."

"Yes, it's good to see you too mother." Weiss lied, somewhat coldly and unemotional.

"Now please. I know you lie about that, I can see right through you."

"Snow..." William spoke, his voice neutral as to bring equality to both sides.

"Now now, I speak not for offense, I'm only joking dear," Snow replied, tapping Will's shoulder, whom almost flinched as she did. "So how have you been Weiss? Have you finally found a tollerable team to command?"

"N-not, really..." Weiss replied, confusion and uncomfortability clear in her tone.

"Well, I don't blame you, there are a lot of immature, thick-headed teens in these academies these days. You must fit in with them, but nevertheless. You are a part of a team then?"

"Yes. Actually, I am with one of the best teams in our grade's league," Weiss bragged, brushing off the insult with a new magazine of confidence to fire at her mother. "One which has stopped many of the White Fang's operations in Vale, fought and defeated a nevermore even before our team was formed, AND has the youngest student ever in the school as our leader. For the record."

"Hmmm, I see. And I'm guessing _she_ is one of your teammates over there." Snow asked, pointing to the redhead, whom was playing with one of the airship figurines from the open display. Ruby made childish little zooming sounds as well as shooting noises, a monotone explosion erupting afterwards. Weiss facepalmed, rubbing her forehead harshly as to alleviate the vein popping from her head.

' _Of all the times to catch you playing with toys..._ ' Weiss thought, pulling her face as her hand slid back down to her sides. ' _It's really cute, but right now?!_ '

" **Ruby!** " Weiss shouted, making the redhead in question jump as the toy airship flew out of her hands. Ruby juggled it for a few moments before finally securing it in her grasp and turning around.

"Y..Yes?" Ruby asked, a shade of pink flustering on her cheeks as she put away the airship model.

Weiss motioned for her to come over, whom the redhead did cautiously as she approached the heiress, looking at the older woman.

"Mom, this is Ruby Rose, my team's leader and my partner. Ruby, this is Snow. My mother and the CEO of the Schnee Dust Company."

"U-uhm, H-hi there." Ruby greeted nervously, holding out her hand. "I-it's nice to meet you, I like your toy collection."

Snow scoffed. "This is your team's leader? She looks young enough to be in the 6th grade, has no etiquette whatsoever, and looks like punk-rock met lollipop teen and made an emo-spunky kid who's too overexcited to act professional at any rate," She stated coldly, letting the redhead's hand fall back as she looked down. "Of all the people, I would've thought you'd be the first to be rejected from Weiss' list of teammates."

"Snow!" Will shouted. "Have some respect! She may seem childish and young, but she's protected me and my family, and even risked her life to shield me from getting stabbed in the chest by a sword yesterday! You should be thanking her for her heroic efforts."

Snow simply chuckled again. "Whatever the cost, you seem unworthy of such a privilege as to be acquainted with the heiress of the SDC, what gives you the right to command her too?"

"I was chosen to be leader by the headmaster. I know that I may be two years younger than Weiss, but I am more-than fit to run my, _our_ team. I understand that I am childish and immature, but at the same time I have the right to be. I am still a kid after all," Ruby responded, though Snow's look remained unmoved. "I know it doesn't change your reasoning of me, but I am more than capable of being a team leader."

"But are you fit to be the friend to the heiress of the largest company in Remnant?" Snow questioned, looking Ruby over head-to-toe. "Because you'd be cut out of the picture easily if it were up to me."

"She's more-than perfect to be my friend," Weiss interjected, a hint of frustration brewing in her voice, "so she is worthy, your opinion matters not to whom I affiliate myself with unless I request it. And quite frankly, I like her little traits. She's a fun and energetic young woman that has made our team quite popular in our grade. And has led us through some pretty challenging battles in life, which has broken me out of my cold shell and brought me to a new perspective in life."

Weiss grabbed Ruby's hand firmly, letting it be clear to her mother. "Now, is there anything _else_ , you need from me? Or may I be off?" She asked calmly and commanding as Snow looked at the two for a brief moment, before waving her hand.

"Dismissed." She instructed, Weiss bowed and turned on her heel, walking away with Ruby in-tow behind her as she opened the office door and exited the room, closing it with a rather large _**bang**_ as she went to the elevators.

* * *

The last couple of hours were spent touring the large skyscraper that was the Schnee Company building, ending at the secretary's desk on the main floor. Weiss and Ruby exited the corporate building hand-in-hand, walking down the cold streets of Atlas as they looked at all the stores and skyscrapers that were around. It was a new experience for both the girls, but surprisingly more for the heiress.

' _I've lived here since I was 5, yet I've never been down these streets, or even passed by them ever,_ ' Weiss thought, glancing at the mannequins in the display window. ' _It's livid, this place is amazing. Why have I never been down here before?_ '

Weiss looked over to her redhead, noticing the gleam in her eyes as she stared at an atlas military poster in the window, along with other weapons and mods in the display. Ruby ran over to the window, getting a closer view of the poster and the gear in the display. The heiress smirked as she waltzed over to her eager girlfriend, pulling on her elbow to try and pry her from the store.

"Come on Ruby, we can go mod shopping later when we're back in Vale." Weiss said, making the redhead turn around disappointedly.

"But Weiss?! The stuff's manufactured and constructed right here in Atlas! It literally says 'Atlas Military Standard Approved'!" Ruby petitioned, giving her pouty face. "Pweeez Weiss! Just a look?!"

"No Ruby. We don't have much time as it is, if we go in there you will lose track of time faster than it takes you to inhale a plate of cookies," Weiss shot down, making Ruby sulk as she took one last glance at the store window. Weiss seeing this, had to resist the urge. But even her strong-willed side could not stand to see the saddened cookie monster. Finally, she sighed. "How about after we get some lunch, and on our way back, we could... take a gander, at what's in store? Winter gave me a specialist discount card in her name, so we could get something from here to take back..."

"REALLY?!" Ruby exclaimed, almost making the heiress jump on the spot before she nodded.

"Yay!" The young huntress shouted, bouncing around on the spot like she just won the lottery. Weiss laughed, motioning the younger to calm down.

"Now take it easy, take it easy. We're still in public remember." Weiss stated with a happy grin on her face. Ruby took a look around, before running up to the heiress and giving her a soft kiss on the lips. Weiss didn't expect such a response, emitting a low moan in shock before mellowing out a bit. Ruby retracted her face from Weiss' and returned to the heiress' side.

" _I love you_ "

After grabbing some lunch at Jim Norton's, the duo went back to the weapon store. The sign 'Cold Steel' illuminated atop the doorway to the store. Weiss and Ruby walked in, finding it had _everything_ , from weapons that turned into guns, to mods for weapons that turned into guns, to guns with melee weapons on them, to weapons that transformed into other weapons, to action figures...

Ruby pulled Weiss to one of the shelves with the mods and other gear on them, looking through it like it was a relic from the holy god of Remnant (praise Monty Oum). Ruby started to pick up the boxes and fiddle with the examples left out for view, looking top, bottom and even inside using a flashlight.

"Oooo, this is a ballistic shield for the gun part of the blade. And this is a recoil suppressor," Ruby stated eagerly, "aaaaww.. and this is an aura/ammo transfer device. These things are awesome!"

Weiss watched the scrambling redhead as she played and surveyed the equipment to its fullest extent.

' _I don't want to ask her, yet now is a pretty good time. She'll be out like a light by the time we get home, and I don't wanna force her explanation in front of my family at the dining table. But how..._ '

Suddenly, she thought of a way to swerve into the conversation, a lightbulb lighting the way to the question in the heiress' head. "Ruby, why do you look at other weapons and mods for your weapon? I've never seen you actually put anything else on it, except to replace worn out parts. And you never really consider buying something, I don't know, new or lighter or anything. So why go to the extent of being here than?" Weiss asked positively, as to not damper her mood or make the time feel wasted. Ruby stood there, looking at the mod for a moment before ending the silence.

"Well, I like seeing other weapons, and how they're used. And I like seeing the new mods that come out each year, it's like a new chapter to fighting grimm. But I never really buy any of it unless it's beneficial or it feels right, ya know? I leave Crescent Rose unmodified because I don't see myself, or my emblem on such a thing," Ruby explained, turning around to Weiss. "Put it like this: Would you or your father invest in a company that wouldn't make a lot of money? Would it really help you? And how would that affect the public view? That's just how I see my baby. If I put something on it that doesn't feel right, what good would it do for me?"

"I see what you mean, but it sounds more to me like it's a more spiritual bond to me," Weiss rebounded. "Is that what it is?"

Ruby half shrugged. "Kinda. It's.. it's hard to really explain here, and I don't want Yang to know about this, but when I constructed and built Crescent Rose, I.. created the blade using my mom's old weapon. I melted her blade and turned it into plates for my baby, fitted them perfectly, and sharpened them to the fullest," Ruby admitted, her hands grasping each other firmly behind her back as she looked down at the floor. "I know it's a little selfish, destroying the blade for something else. But it was just sitting there, and I didn't want it to just collect dust in the attic. I wanted a piece of her to be with me for every battle in Remnant, be it a sparring match or a grimm nest. I asked my dad, and after a few skeptical moments he finally agreed. So when I go into battle, it's not just me there with my weapon, it's me there with my mom's blade in my hands."

Weiss listened to Ruby's story in awe, watching as the redhead looked up and gave her girlfriend a reassuring smirk. ' _Now's the time Schnee._ '

"So Ruby. I know it's a little personal, but what happened to your mother? Why have you never brought it up?"

Ruby stared at Weiss in slight shock, unsure of what to say. She looked down, her bangs covering her eyes as she thought. A moment arose where it was just quiet, other than the soft music playing in the store. Weiss felt a lingering feeling of guilt rising in her gut as the silence continued to prelude. Finally, she placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable." Weiss apologized, making Ruby look up suddenly as she shook her hands out in disagreement.

"N-no! It's not that!" Ruby assured, grabbing Weiss' arms as she stood high on her toes and hugged the heiress. "I just, I don't know exactly how to tell you without an example. I-I'm just, not ready yet. I know you have questions, and you have every right to ask. So please, just wait until I can show you properly what I mean, so that you understand."  
Weiss turned her head to the crimsonette, her face was out of sight from the white haired girl, but she could tell she was being honest. "Okay. You just... you looked really sad when you discovered that me and my mom don't get along, I didn't know if you wanted to talk about it or not." Weiss explained, making Ruby pull away to look Weiss in the eyes.

"I was sad because I saw a woman, beautiful, elegant, smart and kind before me, that was violated and crippled by her family's fighting and power. I see two sides of you sometimes; one that loves and cares for the people around her, and would protect them at all costs, and another that is cold and collective, calm, yet deadly both physically and verbally. One that can talk the biggest down to her knees and force even the sturdiest to bend. And both feel influenced by those around you."

Ruby pulled Weiss into another warm hug, The former stroking the latter's hair. "I care about you Weiss, and your well-being. I hate to see you upset, especially near your family," Ruby stated, making the heiress' eyes widen in both shock and happiness. The redhead rested her head on the latter's shoulder, cupping her opposite cheek with her hand. "I love you."

' _Ruby..._ ' Weiss was at a loss of words. When the heiress didn't repeat Ruby's last statement, or say anything for that matter, the red hooded girl started to panic. "Weiss?" Ruby spoke, looking up to the girl in question's face to see tears trickling down it and making Ruby worry even more. "W-what's wrong, why are you crying?! D-did I say something wrong?!"

Weiss looked at Ruby with a smile on her face, pulling the girl's head in as she wrapped her arms around her for once. "I've never, heard anyone, say they cared for me, ever," Weiss replied. Burrowing her face in the redhead's shoulder. "You just, you are the best. I love you."

Ruby smiled as she finally heard the words she was looking for. "I love you too."

* * *

The two rode up the elevator to the long building, just the two of them and one employee as they waited for their stops. Finally, the doors opened as the employee stepped out. And as soon as the doors closed again Ruby felt a hand gently push her to the side of the wall, turning her to meet Weiss' gaze as the latter kissed her surprisingly, earning a muffled noise as Ruby tried to collect her thoughts. She finally mellowed out a bit as Weiss pressed her slim figure on the redhead's, repositioning their kiss as well as their own bodies.

"I thought she was never gonna leave." Weiss admitted as she wrapped her arms around the younger's neck.

Ruby laughed. "I was thinking the same th-mmph!"

The shorter was cut off by another kiss. This time, more deep and compassionate as she felt herself melt in the girl's body. Ruby didn't even hear the elevator stopping, nor the dinging noise that accompanied it as the two let the moment happen.

" **WEISS ADELINE SCHNEE!** "

The duo jumped in unison, almost to the roof of the elevator. Ruby looked winded, panting a bit as to calm the rapid beating of her traumatized heart, and regain her breath from the long kiss at the same time. Weiss looked to be the same, only slightly more traumatized as to what the sudden shouting of her name was. The two figured it out pretty quickly as they both saw the family standing near the door to the office, a clear sight for both in the elevator. Snow's foot tapped almost tauntingly, her complexion one that could freeze the entire room, and seemed to be doing the trick as the two groups stood frozen on the spot.

"S-S-Snow, I-I mean M-mom, This isn-n't what it-" Weiss tried to defend, but Snow's face remained the same as she held her finger up.

"Come here!" The woman instructed. The duo walked up as they neared a neutral distance from her. Snow began to walk towards the duo, making them both nervous as they both looked at each other and back.

"What did I just see?" The woman asked, looking for either to answer, though neither decided to do so. "Answer me!"

"W-we.. we were, um..." Ruby tried to muster the strength, though it was increasingly difficult as she felt the constricting wave of the interrogator's wrath upon her as she waited for the redhead's full sentence. "We were.. k-kss..."

"Speak clearly," The woman instructed, walking up to the little redhead. "What were you two doing on the elevator?"

"We were.. k-kissing..." Ruby finally answered, looking down as she felt a wave of guilt and nervousness envelop her.

"Correct. Now answer me this; _why_?" Snow questioned. Ruby grasped at her elbows to try and steel herself, though it did little to nothing as she felt increasingly ashamed and scared.

"U-u-uhm... I-I. W-we..."

"Because we are _dating_ ," Weiss finally answered, making both Snow and the family gasp in shock. Though the family's was more of due to the after-effects of this information. Weiss trotted over to Ruby, interlocking their arms together as she looked up at the shocked woman before them. "I am a lesbian, so is Ruby. And we are together. So if there is a problem with that, I advise you take it out on me. Not dad, not Winter or Mai or Aria, and CERTAINLY not on Ruby."

Ruby flipped her hood up with her free arm, trying to hide from the amount of tension in the air. Weiss, on the other hand, did the exact opposite. She faced the fog that was her mother with dignity and pride as she stared coldly at the woman before her. Snow's complexion finally changed sour as she stared at the girl with a new level of anger and hatred. She lifted her hand up, arching behind her head as she started to swing.

 _Smack!_

Weiss felt a burning sensation on her right cheek, a red handprint evident on the girl's face. She looked at her mother in shock now, boiling down to anger as well. But Snow wasn't looking at the white haired girl anymore, instead gazing upon the hiding huntress beside her, whom stepped back a bit when the attack happened in disbelief. Ruby's gaze returned to the woman, noting what was about to happen next.

' _Oh fuck._ ' Ruby thought, ' _Oh fuck,ohfuckohfuckohfuckohfu-_ '

The hooded girl was yanked up in the air by her neck, the fierce witch moving back as she carried the girl by the throat to the wall. As soon as they neared it she planted the girl firmly against it. Ruby kicked and spat for air, being able to only gain a few short breaths as she fidgetted.

"Snow!" William shouted.

"You little pathetic, piece of shit, no-good, disgusting, punk, mistaken little dyke! How DARE you! You've tainted my daughter with your twisted, dirty little unclean ways! You've stripped her of being straight you MISTAKE!" The woman shouted, grasping Ruby's neck with her other hand as she tightened her grip. The girl tried to wiggle her grip, gasping and chocking and grunting for release. Soon she started to feel lightheaded as she tried to reach for the woman's face, begging to be let go through her eyes. "Now go to hell!"

Ruby's body began to shut down as her movements slowed, her eyes rolling slowly to the back of her head. Suddenly, the girl was let go as Snow was toppled over. Ruby gasped for breath, coughing and shaking violently as she laid on the floor. The family all rushed to Ruby, Winter picking the girl up as she continued to sputter and breathe heavily. Soon the redhead came back to her senses as she saw what was the cause of her release, finding Weiss and Snow fighting as the two wrestled on the floor.

"You little bitch! How dare you tackle your mother!" Snow shouted, trying to get a firm grip on the heiress. But it was near impossible with her slim body and shorter height. Finally, Weiss gained the upper hand as she flipped the roles.

"YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER!" Weiss screamed, threatening to punch the older woman, though was stopped instantly as William pryed the two from each other and held them away. The two panted like dogs, looking at one another with a look of anger and seething rage from the events.

"How could you?!" Snow yelled at the younger Schnee. "How could you betray me?! I loved you!"

"You LIAR!" Weiss shouted back. "You never loved me! You hated me since I was born! Never have you actually cared about me. EVER!"

"Of course I did! Why do you think I pushed you to be the best?!"

"You pushed me to the brink of death! Forcing me to complete tasks near impossible! And whenever I failed you, which I always did, you'd punish me for being imperfect! I was a disappointment to you forever, and when I was finally able to stay under dad's custody _you_ told me I was a fucking mistake and that you hoped that I burned in hell!" Weiss started to cry, her voice simmering to a saddened yell, though her attitude not changing. "But that wasn't the worst, what was was the fact that I always felt it was my fault for not being able to satisfy your demands. I felt ashamed of not accomplishing your instructions. And I didn't stop feeling like a mistake to you until I moved in with the general and your divorce was finally over."

Will looked at his daughter, surprise and sadness in his eyes as he listened. "But you know what? I, am done with you. I am done trying to please you and your twisted ways. I'm tired of failing your every impossible wish. I am sick of your attitude, and your stupid look on your face whenever I couldn't meet your gaze. I have found someone who appreciates me, way more than you could ever. And you tried to kill her, you no-good, awful, discriminating, disgusting, piece of shit, _bitch!_ " Weiss stated, her cold demeanor rising in every word she spoke. She held her hands behind her back, walking around Will's barrier as she looked straight in the older woman's eyes. "I won't be coming back here, not with you here, and certainly not when you tried to hurt my girl. I hope I never have to see you ever again, and I hope you suffer from a horrid disease."

Weiss turned around, turning her head to peer just a tad bit from her side as she said her last words to her mother.

" _Goodbye Snow."_


	14. Special Chapter (Thanksgiving Day)

**Heyo! Welcome back to another installment of TWR. Now this one isn't necessarily all about Weiss and Ruby this time, though their scene's a little more fluffly than the rest of the ships in this little special chapter. This is the THANKSGIVING DAY SPECIAL CHAPTER! Now for probably most of you reading this, you're probably wondering: 'What are you talking about? It's not Thanksgiving?'. So allow me to explain a bit. This is the CANADIAN Thanksgiving, not the American one, sadly. So for those Canadian's reading this, gimme a holler eh? Let me know how you're celebrating the festivity. As for the Americans, well... have a nice weekend, and no worries, I'll still make an American Thanksgiving special when the time comes. But until then, just wait your turn. On a different note, I'd like to give my eternal blessing to all those who've been with me from the start, and those newcomers as well. Someday, I wanna be in one of the 'top' categories, whether it be viewed, liked, etc. But that day is long from here, so I continue to write as best and most that I can. But I can't do it alone, so thank you all for the support and the comments. It means a lot to me to know that you all like my story, and it means a ton to me to write these chapter's and stories as best that I can in my power for you guys.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **Thank you.**

* * *

Every second-year student was informed of the large dining room that was housed at the dorm's. To be honest, no one even knew that their dorm had a large community kitchen/dining room area to begin with. And it surprised them all when everyone was told that the dormitory kitchen area was free to use for the weekend, since the dormroom attendant was going away for said weekend to go spend time with his family for Thanksgiving. Team RWBY was the first group of people to investigate their newly obtained information on the special day, going through the doorway to find the large dining area that was located just after the laundry room of the building. Ruby and Yang's jaw dropped the moment they saw the large kitchen area, Blake was somewhat surprised at how they had not even known of such a place, meanwhile Weiss' complexion remained the same.

"Holy shit!" Yang said as she opened the largest oven in the kitchen. "This damn oven could cook two whole turkeys in it!"

"And these ones," Ruby added, opening the smaller ones that were more elevated off the ground. "Are perfect for cookie sheets. I bet I could fit at least 2 per oven!"

"Really?" Weiss questioned, walking up to the little red cookie monster. "Of all the things you could make in that oven, cookies just has to be the first?"

Ruby gasped in shock. "Why wouldn't it?! It's the perfect dish for such an amazing event!"

Weiss shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Ohh boy..." She muttered under her breath.

Blake opened the fridge, finding nothing more than ketchup and mayonaise packets in one of the refrigerated compartments. The faunus sighed as she closed the fridge and opened the freezer atop it, to see only a tray of ice. "Jesus, this place has nothing. No wonder we've just discovered this forgotten room just now," She stated, closing the freezer as she walked back over to her girlfriend. "There's just condiments in the refrigerator."

"Well, at least there are some pots and pans, and a couple roasting pans," Yang confirmed, wrapping her arm around Blake's waist. "Looks like we're gonna have to do some shopping."

"Well, we're not coming with you," Weiss rebuked, a hostile glare eminating from her eyes as she spoke. "Last time you embarrassed me to the point people thought I was gonna faint."

The last recalled time the full team went out grocery shopping was almost a month or two ago. They were out on a mission a few days prior to said event, coming home to an empty fridge the day before (Apparently the dormroom across from them, team JNPR, stole their food. But they never found out who). So the next day, the team went out to grab some grub. It was going well too, they got the essential necessities and their cart was halfway there. That was until Weiss got to a food tasting booth, where they were serving an international trail-mix product. And of course, Yang's mouth...

"Hey, Weiss seems to like do's nuuuuts."

That caused the heiress-in-question to choke, coughing rather harshly as she bent over to try and unclog her air pipe. And of course, Yang...

"She's chokin' on, DEEZ NUTZ!"

At this point, Weiss was trying to gain her breath back, with her very concerned/agitated girlfriend patting her on the back as to try and cough it up. Finally, after a few minutes Weiss got the debris unclogged from her throat as she looked around, finding the people around her watching the scene. She turned back around in sheer embarrassment as she ran for the blonde.

"YOU DUNCE!"

...Long story short, they had to find a new grocery store to shop at. Not because they were kicked out, but because Weiss was too embarrassed to show herself again in that store after what had happened. And to be fairly honest, it wasn't as close as the new one they had found afterwards. So they weren't complaining too much. Nevertheless, the team never truly shopped together since.

"Oh, come on Weiss! It was only one time!" Yang stated, clasping her hands together in prayer. "Please? I need another group of people to help bring it back."

Weiss stared at the pleading woman before her, her face not changing a smidge as the blonde held her hands together. Finally, she sighed. "Fine. I guess 4 sets of hands are better than 2." She weighed as they walked out of the kitchen area to the dining room.

"That's the spirit! Yang gestured, patting the heiress on the back as they continued. "I'll be sure to get a bag of trail-mix just for you."

Yang was stopped suddenly by one of Weiss' glyphs, pushing the girl back all the way to the wall, which was quite a distance away. A large splat rumbled through the room as Yang looked like a bug on the wall. "You can do it yourself. Me and Ruby will cook," Weiss stated coldly, firmly grabbing her girlfriend's hand. "Come on Ruby let's go."

The bumblebee duo watched as Ruby was dragged away, her giving them a shrug as to what was actually happening. Once the two were gone, Blake helped Yang stand on her feet again. "That'll teach you for your thick headedness." The faunus shot.

"Damn, now I have to find a new pair of grocery-carrying arms to bring back all the damn food!" The blonde stated, scratching her chin, "but who...?"

Suddenly, team JNPR, along with Sun and Neptune, walked into the dining room, shock and awe on their faces at their newest discovery.

"Wow, I thought the dorm-guy was joking," Nora exclaimed, looking around the room. "This place is awesome!"

An idea sparked in the blonde's thick-headed skull as she snapped her fingers, picking the only two that were in the same path as the doorway; Jaune and Pyrrha, as they marched out of the dining area. "You two, you're coming with us!"

"We're going shopping!"

* * *

"Uhm, can you explain it more briefly?" Jaune asked as he and Pyrrha walked hand-in-hand to the grocery store in Vale, following the bumblebee couple in front of them.

"We need to split up: Jaune, Pyrrha, you two will be in charge of getting-" Yang paused as she ripped the list in half, making sure not to ruin the items written down on it near the tear, "-these items on the list. Once you've got the stuff, text me and we'll rendezvous at the checkout. Clear?"

"Okay," Pyrrha nodded with enthusiasum, giving a smirk. "We'll get it done."

Yang grinned. "Good."

The two couples entered the grocery store to find the place in utter chaos. People scrambled from here and there, grabbing what they need and then some. "Oh yeah, one more thing. Fend off what you need with your life. These people will take stuff right out of your hands if you don't hurry."

And with that, Yang and Blake ran towards the far end of the row of aisles. "Good luck!" Yang bellowed as she waved to them both, leaving them to their half of the list. And a slightly worried look as the arkos couple watched the mixed rush of people all around the place.

"Alright, let's go." Pyrrha spoke, steeling herself as she pulled along her blond haired boyfriend.

The two started off with the first things on the list. Grabbing a few different spices and some frozen appetizers with ease. But it soon got harder as they moved to the next item.

Much harder.

The next thing on the list was premade stuffing. The first attempt they waited for about 10-15 minutes as other people rushed in and grabbed the stuff next to where the stuffing boxes sat on the shelf, so they went to go get the other items. But it too was hard to acquire as they tried their best to get the stuff. Finally, the two parked in a free space next to the employee doors at the side of the store, panting lightly as defeat settled in.

"Man, this is a lot harder than I thought," Jaune admitted, brushing his hair to the side as he watched the commotion. "And I've done quite a lot of shopping with my mom before."

"Well, what would your mom do in a situation like this?" Pyrrha asked, awaiting the blond boy's answer as he thought.

"Well, she'd normally get this stuff done a week prior, but if she truly had to get it done she'd push through." Jaune replied, looking meekly at his girlfriend.

"Then we need to be more assertive," Pyrrha said, raising a fist with dignity in her words. "We'll push through them, just like they did to us."

Jaune nodded as a smile erupted from his face. "Yeah. Alright, let's go!"

This time around the arkos couple was getting shit done relatively easy. They had to rush to get ahead of certain people, and pushed to obtain the stuff they needed, but they were progressing a lot faster than their original approach had done them. Soon, they found they had grabbed the last thing on the list, a smile of accomplishment curving on both of their lips as they gave each other a quick kiss. Rushing to get to a cashier. The lines were packed, but they had found a way to squeeze into a spot like they had the whole time. Soon they were loading the already bagged groceries in the cart again as Pyrrha got out her card to pay for the food.

"I got it, actually." A voice from beside them said. Pyrrha and Jaune turned their heads, finding Yang walking up to them, with Blake wrapped around her back as the blonde carried her.

"What happened to Blake?" Jaune asked Yang, pointing to the raven haired girl on her back. "She looks... dazed."

"Well, I didn't even know. But apparently this place isn't just a grocery store, but a pet and convenience store as well," Yang told her discoveries, later pointing her thumb behind her at the cat faunus. "This one just happened to find an opened bag of catnip in the store. Catnip, might I add, that also happened to be extra strength."

Blake grabbed the finger Yang used to point at her firmly, latching down on her thumb as she gently nibbled on her finger, letting out a content purr as she did. Yang sighed, pulling her thumb away from Blake as she reached for it again. "Yaaaanngg... It was tasty..." The cat faunus spoke, soon resting her head back on the blonde's shoulder as she continued to purr.

Yang let out another sigh as she grabbed her wallet. "Anyway, I grabbed everything we need for the feast, let's get this in bags and get out of here.

The bagging and payment process went a lot quicker than expected, though it looked really weird with Blake on Yang's back, and the level of oddness that was displayed certainly shocked the shoppers going to the aisle. But finally, it was all done as the group started their trek back to Beacon academy, the 3 of them talked about their little adventure in the store, laughing and telling other stories of the glorious holiday

all in good spirit.

* * *

Weiss pulled the little cookie crusader up the stairs and into the dorm, both of them getting changed into more relaxed and unimportant clothing. Since the two had no food items to work with they opted to just relax in the heiress' bed, cuddling up to one another atop the comforter. The heiress loved those moments. The one's where they could just relax, be lazy, and bask in each other's company without a worry on their mind. Enjoying the peaceful mome-

"Weiss, is there anything we can doo-oo..." Sun said outside their window. As he leapt in though, he realised just what was going on. "oh shit, sorry!"

Weiss sighed as she got up from Ruby's lap, whom was already asleep on the bed as she did. "For god sakes Sun, we have a door." The heiress somewhat whispered, gesturing to the large wooden obstacle that kept the room private.

"Yeah, I know. I just think the window's a better way to make an entrance," The blond boy responded, doing the 'ok' sign with his hands. "But why are you whispering? It's just us two here."

Weiss turned her body 90 degrees, pointing towards the sleeping redhead on the bed. "Ruby is asleep, you dolt," The heiress softly spoke again.

"OH SH-Mmmph!" Sun almost shouted as he jumped, though was stopped when Weiss covered his mouth.

"Ssssshhh," Weiss whisper-yelled, gesturing silence with her finger to her mouth. "You'll wake her up!"

"Oh, sorry.." Sun apologized, a slight tinge of guilt evident in his voice as he looked down a bit.

Weiss sighed as she waved it off, turning her head back to Ruby as she slept soundly. "Poor thing was up most of the night, she incurred a night terror in her slumber."

"What? A night who," The monkey faunus questioned, scratching his head. "English princess."

Weiss face palmed, before returning her cold gaze on the boy. "She had a nightmare you dunce! She didn't sleep well last night," The heiress repeated. "Ruby kept repeating the same sentence, over and over again. 'Don't go, please don't leave me alone'."

"Oh..." Sun conceeded, looking back to the red clad girl in sympathy. "Poor thing."

"Yes, which is why I made sure she came back to bed before we started cooking. That way she doesn't pass out from the heat waves or something," Weiss concluded, turning back to Sun. "Now, what was it you required again?"

Sun scruffed his chin, looking down as he tried to backtrack. "Umm... Oh yeah! Is there something we can do to help in the community feast?"

Weiss started thinking now too as she thought. Suddenly snapping her fingers. "Yes there is actually. Yang, Blake, Jaune and Pyrrha are out getting the food for the feast, Nora and Ren are setting up the tables and cleaning the whole place up. Why don't you go get the drinks?"

Sun nodded as he walked over to the window. "Alright, can do. Hey Nep, you hear that?"

"Yeah!" shouted the boy in question. A small thumbs up appearing around the corner of the building.

"Wait, Neptune is here too?!" Weiss almost shouted, looking around the corner to see the blue haired boy standing on the ledge to the building.

"Hello there, ice queen." Neptune greeted, shooting his index fingers to Weiss in a flirting manner as he did his signature smile. Weiss rolled her eyes as she propped her knee on the shelf.

"Firstly, don't call me that," Weiss spoke, getting her second leg on the shelf as she neared arms length of the boy. "Second, stop flirting with me. I told you I'm dating Ruby."

"Sorry princess," Neptune said half-heartedly. "I just can't turn my swag off. And don't worry about Ruby, she can join the ship too if she likes."

Weiss growled slightly as she reached for the boy. "Maybe this'll shut your 'swag' off," She spoke hostily, pushing Neptune off the ledge. The blue haired man scrambled as he fell off the ledge and impacted the ground with a low _thud, g_ roaning soon thereafter. "And also, DENIED."

Weiss got off of the bookshelf, with Sun holding his hands up to surrender. "Okay okay, I'll make my leave then." He said, getting up on the shelf again as he jumped out of the window, landed in a tree close-by, and slid down to his fallen friend on the ground. Weiss shut the window's soon after, whipping the curtains closed as the two finally had peace and silence. The white haired girl got back in bed with Ruby, the redhead soon finding her presence as she wrapped her arms around the heiress' stomach and dug her head in Weiss' chest. Weiss looked at the girl. Seeing she was still sound asleep surprised her slightly, but soon felt enlightened to be with such a girl as her. Weiss rested her forehead on Ruby's, soon getting drowsy as she melted in the redhead's embrace.

Weiss awoke to a snoring Ruby on top of her. She opened her eyes to see the redhead's mouth wide open, vibrations emitting from the girl's chest to her mouth as a small string of saliva coursed its way down her cheek and onto the white haired girl. Weiss was almost gonna freak, but stopped as she sighed and closed Ruby's mouth. The alabaster teen picked the sleeping girl up as she too rose, placing the redhead on her chest as the girl snuggled up to her. Weiss smiled as she brushed Ruby's hair around her ear, coursing the girl's head soon after. She looked over to the clock, noting they were asleep for an hour and a half. She sighed, knowing she had to wake her up soon.

"Ruby.." Weiss spoke in her soft tone, "Ruuuuby..."

"mmhmm..."

Ruby started to stir, moving a bit to try and wake herself up. It did little to nothing though as she repositioned her body and laid back down in the heiress' embrace.

"Ruuuby. It's time to wake up..." Weiss said calmly, shaking the little girl slowly. Ruby moaned again, burrowing her head deeper in the white haired girl's cleavage.

"Nooo..." Ruby groaned in a sad tone. Weiss felt bad for distrupting such an innocent sight, but knew it was all for a good cause as she cupped the redhead's cheek.

"I know you're sleepy hun, but we've got to get up," Weiss spoke caringly, planting a kiss on the sleepy girl's lips. "We're in charge of cooking, so we've got to be ready when the four get back with the mountain of food."

"Mmmm.. okay..." Ruby replied, though not taking any initiative to get up. "Can you carry me there?"

"Ruby..." Weiss responded, looking into the eyes of the crimsonette.

"Please," Ruby asked, giving her best puppy-dog impression. Even when the girl was half asleep, she could still pull it off to the fullest. "Pweease Weiss?"

Weiss looked away from Ruby, trying not to get lured into her trap of pity. "Come on Ruby, don't do th-mmh-m!"

Weiss was interrupted by Ruby as the girl turned the heiress' head back to her and gave her a passionate kiss. It was deep and lustful, cracking Weiss' attempt to reason with her. Soon the two were playfully battling in each other's mouths as they let the moment continue. But every moment had to end though, and their's ended when they heard a knock on their door.

"Guys? Weiss, Ruby," Ren called from behind the door, followed by an energetic, muffled female voice afterwards. "The gang's back with the groceries. Are you two awake?"

"Yeah, Ruby and I just woke up. We'll be down soon!" Weiss responded.

"Okay! We'll see you in the kitchen!" Ren concluded. The duo heard the two walk away as they got out of bed.

"So please?" Ruby continued their argument, starting her sympathetic dog eyes again. Finally, the heiress sighed.

"Fine, but I'm not carrying you bridal style. I'll most likely trip and we'll both be tumbling down those stairs." Weiss concluded, making Ruby smile as she got up.

"That's fine," The redhead responded as she got on the heiress' back, pointing towards the door. "Mush!"

* * *

Things were off on a great start for everyone. Weiss and Ruby started to make dinner and dessert for the feast, Nora and Ren helped with the ovens, Jaune and Pyrrha put napkin holders out as well as salt and pepper shakers. And Yang and Blake had to go for a nap. Well, Blake was already asleep by the time they got back to Beacon, and Yang opted for a little nap before dinner with her feline companion.

The only slight problem was when Sun and Neptune came back with the drinks.

"Sun," Weiss scolded, looking through the bags. "That's not exactly what I was implying!"

"What?! You said drinks!" The faunus boy replied, holding his hands out in confusion.

"I meant juice and fruit punch, not Jack Daniels and Ciroque!" The heiress shot back.

"It's the perfect kind of drink for the occasion! What's such the problem?!"

"It's supposed to be a festive kind of event, not a turnt-up-and-wild kind of party!"

" **Guys!** "

The two stopped shouting at each other as they looked over to the cause of the loud commotion, turning to find Ren looking at both of them in slight anger. "Both of you, enough!" Ren shouted, walking up to the two as he looked between them.

"Well, if Sun-"

"No," Ren interrupted the white haired girl, holding up his hands. "Sun's right in a sense. He was just getting some drinks for such a festive event. There's little reason in pointing a finger at him when he prepared for a celebrational moment."

"Thank you Ren." Sun said to the man, whom turned around to face him now.

"But Weiss is also right," Ren continued, pointing to the bags, "all of these bags contain some kind of alcohol in them. Did you not come to think that maybe not everyone wants to drink tonight? Especially someone a little young?" He pointed to Ruby as an example of his last statement, whom was drooling over the cookies in the oven at the moment.

The two nodded their heads, admitting their faults as they looked at each other.

"I apologize Sun."

"Sorry Weiss."

Ren let up a pleasant smirk as he turned back to the redhead. "Ruby! I think I have something you can do!"

"Yes Ren?" Ruby asked, skipping over to the black haired man.

"I need you to go to the grocery store, pick up some juices and other drinks," Ren replied, giving the crimsonette some lien to pay for the drinks. "You need to be fast, can you do it?"

"Heck ya!" Ruby saluted as she sped off using her semblance, leaving behind nothing but rose petals.

"Noo!" Nora shouted, looking down in defeat. "I just swept this place!"

Ren face palmed as he grabbed a broom and dust pan. Meanwhile Weiss and Sun unloaded the drinks they got, Weiss returning to the kitchen soon afterwards.

Ruby came back in another flurry of petals, and a shriek of anger soon after from Nora. The hooded scythe wielder plopped the drinks on the island counter, brushing off her hands as she helped Weiss and Ren get the food ready for the feast. Soon everything was ready and on the table, and everyone took a seat around it next to their lovers.

"Alright, Let's say a prayer." Yang spoke as everyone clasped their hands together and bowed their heads.

" _Dear lord. Thank you for all you have given us. Thank you for our friends, who are all like family to each and every one of us. Thank you for being with us in our hardships and our battles, both in the field and in the place we reside. Thank you for the warm and welcoming shelter we all call home. Thank you for the hot meals that we are blessed to have everyday. And most of all, thank you for the people we love each and every day, whom stand by our sides through thick and thin. Thank you."_

" _Amen."_

"Alright, let's eat!" Ruby concluded as everyone dug in to the wonderful food. Conversations and laughter rung throughout the room, the food was delicious. Everyone enjoyed each other's company, especially their love's, as they all celebrated the night away.

 _ **Happy Thanksgiving Everyone =)**_

* * *

 **Alright, I hope you enjoyed. Like I said, I'll still do the American Thanksgiving for all you guy's south of us. So no worries. And as for my Canadian brothers and sisters; have a nice day, stay safe, drink responsibly, and don't drink or do drugs and drive. Let's all stay alive tonight.**

 **On an unaquainted note, Topaz and I are working together on a role play-ish chapter together, so expect that soon. But as always, stay tuned. And have a nice weekend everyone.**

 **Pce**


	15. Special Chapter (Halloween)

**Heyo! Welcome to the Halloween day special chapter! Sorry this ain't the next chapter to the story arc, I wanted to take a small break, but I remembered I had to do the halloween day chapter for this year. I promised (myself) that I'd do all the special holiday chapters this year, so lo-and-behold, here it is. I'll also do the american thanksgiving day chapter, for all you american readers out there. But I'd like to request some suggestions for it, cuz tbh I'm running out of special chapter ideas, it's hard to think of that and story arc ideas at the same time. So please, if you have any suggestions, questions, etc. Leave me a review or even PM me if you feel it's easier to. It'd be very much appreciated. I'll leave a shoutout to the person responsible for the special chapter idea as well, if you're interested. So yeah. Also, watched the first episode of vol. 4. I got so excited I signed up to roosterteeth's website and watched the next episode yesterday. Not gonna spoil it but man, holy shit the feels...**

 **Anywho, enjoy.**

* * *

"Are you ready yet Ruby?!"

Weiss knocked on her team's bathroom door, listening in for a voice on the other side. The two were getting ready to go trick-or-treating. Though the heiress was a little skeptical about going, Ruby had done some pretty hard convincing (Her pout face doubled and was added with a little watery eyes to amplify the reaction). Not wanting anything bad to happen to her loving girlfriend, Weiss vowed to only dress up a bit for such an event. The duo's costume wasn't terrible per say, not bad for last minute dressing up at least. Ruby was so into mapping out the routes and the different houses she wanted to hit that she had forgotten the prime element to the holiday. The redhead really wanted to be the Grimm Reaper, but she didn't have any black robes (oddly enough) and the costume shops were all out of such an outfit. Plus, it meant she'd have to spray paint her scythe black, and she'd rather shave her head and eyebrows than do that. After hours of failed costume shopping, the redhead accepted defeat as she started to drag her ass home. Weiss, trying to cheer up her saddened girlfriend a bit, opted to get her some ice cream. And as she looked at the reflexion in the glass of the door, an idea sprung to life.

 _outfit swapping_.

After some thought to it, Ruby had started to like the idea of dressing as her white haired girlfriend. Lo and behold, the two were getting ready to go as each other. Ruby's outfit was pretty easy to get on, especially since her body and the heiress' were practically the same size and general form. Weiss felt different in the outfit. She felt shorter, due to her heels being level with the rest of her feet and closer to the ground. And her usual brightness felt 'capped' by the dark and red fabric of the dress. But she liked the outfit nonetheless, it was warm and she felt comfortable in it. Weiss' true attention was more towards Ruby though, whom was taking an unusually long time to put on _her_ signature outfit. _'Dear Oum, it's a battle skirt and jacket, not an 18_ _th_ _century wedding dress!_ '

"Ruby? Are you alright in there hun?" Weiss called again, her hand covering the knob of the door as she awaited some approval.

"Just a sec-woah!" Ruby said at the other end, followed by a vibration in the ground as a small _thud_ resonated off the tile floor.

"Ruby?!" Weiss shouted, opening the door immediately as she registered the damage done to her redhead. Ruby laid on the floor of the bathroom, landing on her back as small little corgi's ran around her head. Weiss face palmed as she walked up to the downed huntress, placing her hand on Ruby's shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Weiss asked, expecting the worst possible scenario.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just don't have a lot of experience walking in heels," Ruby admitted as Weiss raised the girl back on her two feet. As soon as she was vertical with the room, she began to wobble again as she started to fall, though was stopped halfway as the heiress caught her. "Stupid lady stilts.."

"Come on, I told you to put those on on non-polished surfaces!" Weiss scolded as she helped the staggering girl into the dormroom.

Weiss sat Ruby down on her bed, stepping back a bit to observe the little red clad girl in her own clothes. Though Weiss had to admit, she looked damn stunning in it. The dress and leggings were a perfect size for Ruby, though the bolero was a little bit bigger as she wasn't exactly as tall as Weiss. It Left the heiress awestruck by the sheer beauty of the girl.

"D-do I look alright?" Ruby asked, a tint of red dusting her cheeks as she noticed Weiss staring speechless at her. It took a moment until Weiss finally registered the most recent question brought up.

"...Wow.." Weiss simply stated, turning Ruby's cheeks even more flustered, "just... wow. I could swear if it weren't for the unmatching hair colour, it'd look like your regular attire."

Ruby giggled a bit as she fiddled with the hem of the skirt. "Aww. Thanks Weiss." Ruby thanked as she looked back up at the still flabberghasted girl.

"I'm surprised you don't wear white a little more often. You look beatiful in such a prime colour." Weiss admitted, sitting down next to the red clad girl as she fixed the little imperfections in the outfit.

"My mom used to wear a lot of white, and my dad said that she looked just like me. So that's probably why I look so fabulous in it," Ruby answered, placing her hands on the heiress'. "Though to be honest, it's not really my forté. It's just too noticeable, ya know? I like to move like a shadow; quick and unseen."

"Well, you look beautiful nonetheless." Weiss said, leaning towards Ruby as she gave her a quick kiss.

As the two parted, the door to their dorm swung open. In waltzed Yang Xiao Long, wearing a sort of police outfit that seemed almost too skimpy to be worn in public. Alongside her was her raven haired girlfriend Blake Belladonna, whom sported a collar and golden tag, droopy ears and mismatched brown and white spots everywhere on her body, symbolizing a dog.

"Hey guys! Sorry we're late, had to get my K9 companion over here," Yang joked, in return earning a bump from the dog-looking cat faunus.

"Dog or cat, I'll still whoop your butt Xiao Long." Blake teased, crossing her arms in bravery.

"You have the right to remain _sexy_ ," Yang spoke, walking over to the brunette intimately as she gave the girl a kiss, before returning to the conversation. "Anyways, let's see this year's costume Ru-uuubbess..."

Yang was left as shocked as Weiss was as she stared at the, once again, blushing Ruby. "...Wow..." Was all she could muster as she gawked at her sister.

"That's what I said!"

* * *

After the team met back up with each other, the four set out for a night of trick-or-treating. Well, at least Ruby was, the Bumblebee couple were heading out to a halloween party at the club Yang went to often. Leaving Weiss to accompany her redheaded girlfriend on her hunt for the sugary treats. The two were going through at an easy pace. Ruby got a handful of candy from each house, bringing it back to Weiss as she held a deposit bag for her to dump it in after obtaining. It was an easy and pretty simple strategy used not only for candy, but for lien and other tradeable items that Weiss knew pretty well. Ruby dumped the last small amount of candy from her bag into the one the white haired girl held, tying it back up as the two moved to the end of the sidewalk to go to the next block.

"We're doing pretty good Weiss," Ruby spoke, grabbing the heiress' hand as she intertwined their fingers together. "At this rate I'll have plenty for the big one and a little left to indulge in myself."

Weiss' ears piqued as she heard the last sentence leave the redhead's mouth. On turn, she rotated her head to look at Ruby. "The big one? What's this 'big one' you speak of?"

Ruby giggled a bit as she looked back at her girlfriend. "I can't tell you, it's a secret."

"Oh come on, I tell you everything. Why can't you at least explain it a little?!" Weiss objected, a look of building giddiness was rising in her as the black clad girl awaited an answer.

"Trust me, you'll know soon," Ruby only hinted, kissing the heiress' nose. "But until then, you're just gonna have to wait."

Weiss' cheeks puffed out as her gaze lowered to the curb. "aaww... but this'll eat me up for the rest of the night now..." She complained.

Ruby giggled again as she stood on her tip-toes. "Well, maybe this'll clear your conscience." The white dressed teen stated. Ruby turned the heiress' gaze to her as her fingers trailed into the free flowing white hair and pulled her in. Soon their lips connected as Weiss felt a jolt of surprise emit in her throat. It was easily added onto when Ruby tapped the girl's lips with her tongue, gaining quick entrance as she pressed deeper in her mouth. Weiss melted a bit as she wrapped her only free hand around the redhead's waist, deepening the kiss even further. Soon, the alabaster haired teen tasted something quite familiar on her girlfriend's tongue. Something she knew Ruby ate most recently.

' _Wait. Is that... chocolate? How did she eat a chocolate already?!_ '

Ruby finally ended the tasteful kiss, cocking her head to the side as she gave a beaming smile to the white haired girl. Said girl was still slightly shocked, but returned the heartfilled smile as she rejoined hands with her.

"There, did that clear your mind?" Ruby asked as the two got the white walking person light, finally crossing the street.

"Yeah, but now there's a new question abrew," Weiss answered, giving the girl a quizzical look. "Did you eat a chocolate already?"

Ruby froze a bit as she looked at anything but Weiss. "U-uhm... no?" Ruby lied, though her masquerade was easily decyphered as Weiss continued to give the redhead a cold, unblinking expression.

"M-maybe.. a small one?"

The heiress' stare prospered upon the guilt-ridden teen. Ruby was starting to sweat as she seemed to tremble slightly.

"Ruby.." Weiss spoke in a low, monotonuous voice.

"OKAY!" Ruby exclaimed, looking on the verge of tears, "I-I'm sorry! The last bowl was left out in the open, and it had some really good ones that I liked. A-and I may.. have... openedoneandateitreallyquicklybeforereturningbacktoyou!"

Ruby closed her eyes, reaching for her hood to find nothing as she remembered the outfit she had on was not hers. The redhead prepared for a scolding, to hear not a peep out of the accompanying girl beside her. Ruby opened her eyes slowly, turning to find the heiress standing calmly beside her, chewing on something that sounded crunchy. Ruby finally put two-and-two together, and realized just what it was that she was eating.

"H-hey!" Ruby protested, a new look of betrayal turning on.

Weiss sucked on her fingers until they were clean of the chocolatey residue fhat lightly coated her tips. "You're right, thrse are grd," She mumbled as she cleared her mouth, throwing out the wrapper in the nearest trashcan. "An eye for an eye. Or in this case, treat for a treat."

The duo continued to go trick-or-treating at the next set of houses, earning a hefty amount from each and every one as they soon were running out of both stamina and carrying capacity. After the last houses in the neighbourhood were visited, the two decided to pack in for the night and head home. Ruby didn't even make it to her bed as she dozed off nuzzled to the black-and-red wearing heiress' shoulder on the airship ride home. Weiss smiled as she listened to the soft snoring that calmly resonated from Ruby's mouth, her deciding to also take a quick nap as she too dozed off on the redhead.

The Whiterose couple walked into their dormroom as Weiss placed the large sack of candy on the desk and the scythe wielder changed out of her outfit, getting stuck and eventually needing help from the white haired girl. Weiss assisted her girlfriend out of the outfit as she too started to get out of the former's attire. They both returned the clothes back to their rightful owners as the duo started getting ready for bed, noting how late it was, and the fact that the other half of their team was already snuggled up to one-another in the bottom bunk bed. After both finished in the washroom the two got into their own bed together, cuddling up instantly as they soon dozed off from the amount of fatigue from the eventful night.

* * *

 _Early in the morning._

"Wow, I'm impressed you got this much and still quite a lot for yourself."

Yang ran her hand through the large bag of treats in the kitchen, with Ruby waiting for her final verdict. The blonde returned her gaze back to the redhead, crossing her arms as she gave her a smirk.

"So? Are you content?" Ruby asked, awaiting impatiently for the woman's answer.

"hmmm. Well, this is a lot, and you got some pretty good ones," The blonde noted, giving a thumbs up, "alright. You've held up your end of the bargain, now I'll do my part."

The redhead gave a heart-glistening smile as she fist pumped. "Awesome! So you have the stuff?"

Yang nodded as she opened up a cupboard and reached up to the top shelf, retrieving a grocery bag filled with square objects and other items. "Here we are. I did an inventory check and then some, and made sure we had everything for it," The goldielocks stated, "but are you sure? I mean, I don't think Weiss really cares."

"Oh she will once she sees this," Ruby stated, grabbing some bowls along with cooking pots from the bottom drawer. "Now let's get started!~"

* * *

 _Some time later._

Weiss awoke to an oddly strange scent in the room, Waking up as she found that her girlfriend was not in bed with her. She sighed, sitting up straight in the bed as she rubbed the morning dew from her eyes and yawned. The heiress got out of bed, noticing the blonde wasn't in the cat faunus' bed either, but the latter was still sound asleep. Not wanting to wake her up, she quietly put on her slippers and made her way to their kitchen nook. As the heiress opened the door, the scent grew stronger as she saw the small mess and clutter around the kitchen. And sitting amongst it all were large, white-chocolates in the shape of very large hearts on the kitchen island. Weiss' face tilted in confusion as she zoned in on the still-cooling chocolates on the island, noticing said chocolates also had sprinkles of both normal and halloween shapes, some white chocolate chips, and in the middle of them all was the cursive engraving of her name on it.

As Weiss stared at the chocolates. Ruby walked into the kitchen area, freezing in place as she saw her girlfriend was up. She tried her best not to make a noise, but the door closed with a decent sound indicating someone entered and Weiss looked over to the cause of it, locking eyes with the somewhat frozen girl.

"U-uhm, Weiss!" Ruby finally spoke, breaking the silence that hung around her. "G-goodmorning hun."

"Ruby, what is this," Weiss asked, ignoring the greeting as she pointed to the treats on the cooling pan. "What are these treats for?"

"W-well," Ruby began. "I wanted it to be a surprise, but I guess since you're up now, I gotta explain it a bit."

Ruby walked up to her girlfriend, giving her a slight smirk. "I know you never really celebrated many of the yearly holidays much, halloween included. So before I even started planning out the houses I was gonna visit I got the idea to make something special for you. I asked Yang if she could help me out, and we bargained a bag full of treats for her assistance. We agreed and she opted to make a special chocolate just for you. So I started mapping out areas that would give me the right amount of candy for the trade and then some for my own personal consumption," The redhead explained. "That's why I completely forgot about my costume this year, and when you suggested I go as you the pieces just fell into place as it went on. At first it was just gonna be one full heart-shaped treat, but we had a little extra and I already have plenty of treats for myself."

The white haired girl looked at the little red clad girl with compassion in her eyes. She looked back at the heart shaped chocolates as a feeling of warmth churned in her stomach at the heartfilled care from the little scythe wielder.

"And I know, I'll clean this all up after break-eep!" Ruby stated, cut off by the sheer velocity of the heiress' embrace as she skidded back a little. The surprise soon turned to concern as she heard the woman sniffle a bit and exhale rather raggedly. Weiss looked back to Ruby with tears in her eyes as she smiled, pulling the girl in for a deep kiss.

"Are you okay?" Ruby asked after the kiss ended. Weiss simply nodded.

"Out of all the treats in Vale,

 _you are the sweetest one of them all_."

* * *

 **So like I mentioned before, make sure to leave a suggestion in the reviews, even the smallest of ideas is very much appreciated. And if you prefer, leave a PM instead. Whatever works. Also any questions and/or other thoughts you have I'll answer in the next installment of TWR. But as always, stay tuned.**


	16. Water on Weiss-Blue Pools

**PLEASE READ: I'll keep it short for you, cuz you guys don't like reading this apparently, but I'll section this off to those who want to read my small A/N and those who want to skip to my story notes.**

 **A/N: Yo! Welcome back to another chapter of TWR. And no, this ain't a holiday chapter either, for those wondering. This is the final chapter to the story arc! So anyway. Last time, on the holiday chapter, I asked you guys a question. And NOBODY left a review or even read it! I'm not gonna repeat the question, cuz it's left up on the last chapter on this story, but it is still heavily requested. Come on guys, Ik these seem stupid and pointless to you, but I take time to write these out. And it'd be greatly appreciated if you guys just read the questions at least and answered them, cuz I like your opinions on my writing as well as what to incorporate in them. so please, take your time to just read the question from the previous chapter. And thank you.**

 **Story Note: So I apologise for the lack of action or anything, this is just basically a devoted fluff/hurt/comfort chap. but yeah, enjoy.**

* * *

 _About a few hours later._

 _(Ruby's POV)_

The airship ride felt long and saddening as the Schnee family and I sat in silence. Will looked out upon the city from the window aside. Winter was texting someone on her scroll, most likely the general to tell him the most recent events. Aria and Mai were also looking out the windows, watching the clouds roll by and depicting objects based on its shape. Weiss, on the other hand, went to the balcony part of the ship and had been there since the start of the ride. I wanted to go and see if she was alright, but Will suggested some personal space and fresh air was only best for now. Upon thinking of his advice. I looked over to the white-haired man at the windows, feeling a wave of guilt envelop me as I knew he had to make the hardest decision of his life: Keep his ex-wife and business associate from prison and ruin the bond with his daughter, or confess everything from the start and bite the bullet for his company and for Weiss. Fortunately for the heiress, he chose the latter.

After the fight occurred Weiss went straight to the elevators, going to the airship waiting on the rooftop. Winter and Aria ensured I was alright, and soon enough security teams and police officers showed up at the scene claiming someone had reported an attack. We all went down to the lobby to find the front parking lot filled with cruisers and flashing lights. After conducting an investigation and interrogating me and the rest of the family, Snow was arrested for assault of a minor and attempted 1st-degree murder charges, along with other charges that she'd be penalised for. Of course it never just ends that way, though, with the bad guy being placed behind bars and the protagonist living happily ever after. The reality was I had a court appearance about a month-or-so from now at the Vale courtroom, followed by more counselling and therapy sessions. Thankfully, I convinced them I was alright enough to deduct a number of sessions, and bypass another trip to Atlas hospital. And after an hour or so of talking, we made our way onto the airship home.

' _And here we are now, on a quiet, depressing airship. Going back to an even more quiet and depressing condo._ '

I sighed quietly as I looked down to the floor of the ship. What they lacked in people skills, they made up for in fashion sense. The airship was nice, but it was a bit too much for my liking, at least for someone used to classic Vale airbuses. All-in-all though, it was very appealing at the least, enough to calm the growing guilt and shame in my gut at least a tad bit.

"How are you doing Ruby?"

My eyes looked up to the source of the question, finding William had turned around from his gaze upon the city to me. I gave the man a fake reassuring smirk as I stood up and walked over to him, clasping my hands behind my back. "I'm alright, A little tired from the long day, though. And my voice sounds like razorblades going down a hollow tube." I responded in a hoarse tone, clearing my throat afterwards.

Will let up a small chuckle as I looked down from his gaze to his feet, the feeling of guilt arising in me once again. "I'm sorry about what happened. Weiss just kinda, lunged at me. I should've done something to prevent it or stop," I apologised, "I'm sorry about Snow too. I'm no business tycoon, but I know she played an important part in the company. So I apologise for my actions today."

Will let out a hardy chuckle, placing his hand on my shoulder as he gave me a grin. "You did nothing wrong, little red. I know Weiss, she is cold and straightforward, letting no one stand between her and her prime goal. To see her so relaxed and open with someone means a lot. Though I admit it was not the best time to be so... intimate, she has opened herself up to new things. And no doubt it's because of you and your friends." The man said in full honesty, returning his hand to its original position. "As for Snow. To be completely honest, I never wanted to be near her after the divorce. The only reason I kept her for so long was because she worked harder than most of my other employee's in the company. I was waiting for an opportunity to strike, praying even, and finally, it came."

"W..what about the company," I asked, with the last bit of guilt in me. "The SDC is a big dust supplier, and my favourite kind of ammo. What will happen?"

"Most likely, government agencies will come in and investigate, we will tell them everything and Snow will be put in prison for at least a decade," Will spoke, "as for the SDC, I will promote one of my hardest working employees and train him to be the best. Sure I'll have a little more work to do, but it'll be worth it in the end."

I gave the man a small grin in acknowledgement as I peered out the window and watched the clouds roll by the ship. "Ruby," Will spoke, making my head turn back to him.

"Yes?"

Will kneeled down in front of me. Light-blue eyes staring into mine as he gave a feint smirk. "Can you promise me something? Promise me that you will always stay by Weiss' side, and that you'll do your best for her?"

I stood still for a moment, deciphering the promise as he awaited. Will, seeing my confusion, spoke up again. "Like I said, I know Weiss. I never thought she'd even make friends when she left to Beacon. To see that, and someone she loves is ecstatic. As I've stated she wouldn't let anything come between her and her goal in life, so to see someone like you shake her from her normal routine means something. It says a lot about you too, in a way."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, would you think you'd have a chance at the beginning to even be friends with the heiress to the largest dust mining company in the world? A lot of people would've just said no and gave up the thought, have even. But you persisted, you were determined on being friends with her, and ultimately, even more. Not only that, but you've brought up a kinder, gentler side to her. It says that you are determined, kind and special in my sight. And I think that you are at least what's best for her."

The last comment sparked a smile, not only on my face but in my heart. To see someone I barely knew at all. Especially the parent of the one I love, let alone the CEO of the Schnee Dust Company, tell me I was special and accept me and Weiss was outstanding. Words could not describe the feelings mustering up within me. "Wow," I finally spoke, my eyes getting blurry as tears started to trail down my face. "That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me."

I let out a sniffle as I wiped away one of the trails, Will stood up and wiped the other one away with his index finger, rummaging his pockets and handing me a handkerchief with the SDC logo stitched on it. "I promise I'll try my best." I finally answered him, making the white haired man smile with enlightenment.

"Thank you, Ruby. It means a lot to know I have someone like you I can trust." Will stated, turning his gaze back through the window as he patted my head. "I promise you that I will make it worth your effort."

I let up a giggle, I now patting his side. "Don't worry about payment, being with Weiss is more than enough for me," I stated.

"I insist. Whatever you want or need, the price is not a concern," The older man replied, "Just think about it if you ever desire something that interests you."

I nodded in acceptance. ' _Best to just do so, it is a nice trump card after all._ '

The ride back to Will's mansion was finally coming to a close as we caught sight of the large white building, letting out a breath of relief. Today was rather stressful, and I really wanted to just sleep. The thought of the bed was my only goal for the night as I watched the nearing house. Then I remembered a certain person as well, one that'd be accompanying me in said bed tonight. I wondered what would happen when Weiss did join me to bed. Would she be upset? Mad? Scared? Perhaps even enlightened? I shook my head, watching as we were nearing the large port of the Schnee mansion. I knew that whatever it would be would happen soon, and my question would be answered shortly.

* * *

 _about 8:30 p.m._

After getting off the airship. Weiss went straight to bed, saying she wasn't hungry, as expected from both me and William. I didn't get a good view of the heiress' complexion, but her cheeks weren't wet, nor were her eyes puffy. The only thing that did raise flags was the look in her eyes, one that I knew too well.

She was biding.

It wasn't something easy to pick up, only those trained to find it could decipher the complexion. I knew the look well, though, through past experience. I too built up my feelings, hid them away from the public. I knew that it wasn't something good, and I'd have to open pandora's box sometime tonight. After a quick dinner and a small hot chocolate, I said goodnight to the rest of the Schnee family and went upstairs. Opening the door as quietly as possible, I sneaked into the heiress' bedroom, closing the door ever-so-gently and calmly walking up to Weiss in the bed. The white haired girl was asleep, as I expected, and so I continued with getting ready for bed, putting my outfit on the hanger and replacing it with my pj's and tank-top. Soon after I sat down on my side of the bed, looking out through the window to the beautiful shattered moon.

' _What should I do? What should I do?_ ' I thought as I continued to stare out at the moon. ' _Mum, what would you do?_ '

My train of thought was interrupted by warm arms wrapping around my body, enclosing me in a firm, yet gentle hug. I turned my head to see the only known person in the room. Though Weiss' complexion looked different than before, her dire reason remained the same; she wanted my company. I smirked as I raised my hand up to the heiress, for her to only bring it back down as she locked my arms in place. "Weiss, are you okay?" I asked the white haired girl, turning my head to meet her gaze. "You can tell me, hun, it's just the two of us."

Weiss didn't respond, only rest her head against my shoulder, letting out a heavy sigh. I could almost hear her thoughts as she contemplated speaking. Trying to comfort her, I turned my head and gave the heiress a long kiss on the cheek, pulling off with a sweet little noise as I rested my head on the white haired's temple. "I'm worried about you Weiss. I know what you're doing, and I know the same safe word you'd use just to brush it away."

I rested my hands on her's, though not being able to move my arms all too well. "It's not fine. I can see it clearly through your eyes, and those beautiful crystal blue orbs never lie to me. So please, I wanna help you."

"I don't know," Weiss finally said, letting go of me as she sat on the bed with her head hung low. "I don't know.."

Streams from those clear blue eyes started to make its way down the heiress' cheek, multiplying rapidly. I instantly scooted up to the girl, wrapping her in a warm hug before looking back at her face. "I-I don't know what I feel. My own mother just tried to kill you, a-and I stood there in shock... I lost it on her. I've hated her for so, so long. I thought it'd be easy to just break free of her and move on, but... but..."

I continued to course my hand on the girl's back, letting my fingers roam in circles as she cried. "But you feel regret," I answered, earning a slow shake of the head in response.

"No, not regret, I don't regret knocking her over and nearly punching her. But she's still my mother, she gave birth to me," Weiss looked down in shame, confusion and guilt clear in her voice. "I don't know."

"You feel sympathy then?" I asked, giving her a reassuring look.

"I don't know Ruby!" Weiss shouted, smacking her mouth soon after for her outburst as her eyes widened in terror. Her complexion shifted almost instantly, from mad to horrified. "I-I-I'm sorry."

The alabaster teen looked down. Almost shutting herself in from the amount of insecurity arising in her. "I-I'm a monster. I've hated her all my life, and I've wanted nothing but to hurt her back, for everything she did," Weiss murmured. "I'm a monster..."

I wrapped my arms around Weiss once again. This time, firmer and with a lot more sentiment as I coursed her hair comfortably. Her crying seemed to intensify as she latched onto me, embracing me with the same might as my own. Holding me as if I was the last lifeline she had left. I continued my best to console the weeping heiress as I soon started rocking her back and forth. "Weiss, your mum wasn't the best of people. That doesn't mean that _you_ are anything similar to her. _YOU_ have changed for the better, while you still hold onto the richer customs, you still prove that you want to be open and helping and considerate."

I rose from our hold, looking into the now reddened, watery eyes of the Schnee. "Even when you know that it isn't the best idea, or when you think yours' better."

Weiss let up a sniffle, a small, wobbly lip accompanying it as she listened to me. I gave the girl a content smile as I cupped her wet cheeks. "I don't mean to sound selfish, but I'm a perfect example of someone you've changed for. And you're someone who's changed me. When I waltzed into your life, way back at initiation and all that. You changed your fighting style, you accepted me as your partner, not to mention the amount of patience and cooperation you've sacrificed for _our_ team. Sure, we got off at a kinda.. weissy start."

Weiss gave me the unamused face, making me snicker and crack up a bit as she sat there quietly. "What? I had to try," I bargained, clearing my throat. "Anyway. We all worked it out, though. In time we've learned to trust each other, and become best friends, and even more. Yang and Blake are happy, and I am more than pleased being your little dolt."

The heiress let up a small snort, followed by a smirk. "You _are_ my little dolt." She joked, making me smile.

"Exactly," I said, giving her a smirk now as I cocked my head to the side. Suddenly, Weiss' lips met mine in a heartfelt kiss. Ending with our heads resting against each other.

"So, what did you mean by I've changed you? I mean, we are closer than ever before, but you were always the same dolt as you are now, how did I influence change?" Weiss asked, looking back to me as she awaited my answer.

"I what?" I asked, a confused look on my face as I tried to recap. Finally, I clued in. "Oh! That."  
I returned my gaze back to Weiss', who was giving me her full, undivided attention. "Well, you see. Before I even met you, way back when I was in Signal academy. I.. was kinda bullied a lot, for being a tomboy, for my weird relationship with my weapon. Hell, they even criticised me for my eye colour. And it only got worse when someone outed me as a lesbian. I was ridiculed for a long time when I was young, and I grew up still believing to this day that maybe I'm not 'normal' enough for people, like I am just too weird for society. When I met you, I tried, fuck I tried, to at least be your friend. I just wanted someone I could call a friend. I didn't care about your title in society, I didn't care that you were a little.. harsh, on me. I just wanted to have someone to talk to and laugh and be partners with. But as much as I tried, I just couldn't seem to muster up enough strength for it to feel like I was good enough to be your friend, like I wasn't trying hard enough. And as I tried to patch that up I started to develop feelings, an attraction towards you. But I had believed there'd be no way it'd ever happen, and it saddened me."

I looked down a bit, trying not to get too emotional now. "I'm gonna be honest with you. There were days where I just didn't want to get up, where I wanted to close myself in for the day. But huntresses have to do their best, especially leaders, so I just put on a happy face and went on through the days. There were.. moments, never long, but brief moments, where I debated what would've happened if I just, wasn't here, what would happen if I just.. never went to Beacon. But I turned to you, and you always tried to be the best, and I wanted to make sure I was good enough to at least be your teammate. As our team grown you showed me kindness, you continued to thrive in both your academics and training."

"Have you always thought of me like that?" Weiss asked, happiness and worry evident on her face. "How long have you truly liked me?"

I let out a small snicker. "Of course I have! You are always so elegant whenever you spar. The truth is, I've liked you since the day I met you."

The heiress' eyes widened, almost disbelievingly so. "Really?" she asked, to whom I nodded.

"Like I said Weiss, you are my light, on a darkened path."

We embraced each other once more, a new spout of tears starting to moisten my shoulder as I smirked in the heiress' collarbone. I gave the white-haired girl a kiss on the cheek, separating from the hug once more. I cupped Weiss' cheeks, wiping away the streams with my thumbs as I smiled. We joined in a passionate kiss, melting into a warm feeling that I always thrived for from the girl. After separating we finally laid back into bed, with Weiss' arms wrapped around my body as she soon fell asleep. I turned off the bedside light that illuminated the room, returning to the heiress' embrace as she clasped onto me once again. I looked into the room we shared, my eyes widening slightly at the sight I haven't seen in a long, long time.

"M..Mom?" I acknowledged, low enough as to not wake the girl behind me. The woman had a glowing white presence around her, wearing her usual white caped hood that I haven't seen since I was little. The woman smiled as she walked forward, kneeling down before me.

"Be there for her Ruby," The ghostly Summer replied, "love her as I love you, and watch over her as I do for you."

I gave a content smirk, nodding in agreement. "I will mum," I replied.

Summer smiled. "I'll see you again, at the cliffside." She replied.

The white hooded figure leant forward, kissing me on the forehead. "Goodnight, my sweet rose."

And with that, I started to fall asleep, though trying my hardest not to. The figure waved goodbye as my eyes finally closed, and I fell into a deep, warming sleep.

* * *

 _About 10:30 a.m._

I opened my eyes slowly, noting the streams of sunlight beaming into our room as I squinted. I turned my head over to Weiss, who was still latched onto me, though not as tightly as before, as her chest calmly rose and fell in sync. I let out a yawn as I rose up, stretching out as to wake myself. Just as I was about to leave, a low and dissatisfied groan sounded from beside me, followed by arms wrapping around my hips.

"Ruby.. stay in bed with me," Weiss instructed in her drowsy stupor, "five more minutes..."

"Come on Weiss," I rebuked. "We have to get up and pack our things. It's Monday remember?"

The drowsy heiress let out another groan, increasing her hold on me as she did. I sighed, laying back down to meet sleepy, ice blue eyes. I rested my hand on the white haired girl's cheek as hers rose up my back, eliciting a warming smile from me.

"You definitely aren't a morning person." I joked, giving Weiss a quick peck.

"Not without at least a coffee." Weiss shot back, yawning soon afterwards as she curled up to me. I wrapped my arms around her as the white haired continued to rest, looking around for any other bodies around us to find nothing.

"What are you looking for?" Weiss asked, making me shift my gaze down to the nestled heiress. She looked like a baby chipmunk, curled up next to her guardian.

"What? Oh, nothing," I answered, shifting my body down to her. "Just checking everything we have to pack."

"We don't have to pack anything Ruby, the maids will do it all. Now go back to sleep." Weiss stated, pulling my attention back to her.

"Still, we should at least get up." I returned, making Weiss groan again as she got up and put her legs on both sides of me in a straddling position.

"What's wrong Ruby?" Weiss asked, pulling me closer to her gaze as she cupped my chin.

"N-nothing! I just don't want you to think we have to be here if you don't want to be here!" I spoke, "I've already ruined your relationship with your mother, and most likely thickened the air around your family because I wanted to meet them. You have a say in this, and I already know what you've wanted to do since the day we left. So we'll go home."

"Ruby, if this is because of last night drop it already. I'm already feeling better now, thanks to you. Sure, it was a shitshow last night, but you've strengthened my bond with my true family. My mother was the only reason I was truly sceptical to begin with and now she's locked behind thick, steel bars. So don't feel it was your fault. I would never blame my past on you, you know that."

A blush crept up on my face as I listened to the heiress, whom in return smiled as her cheeks dusted with a light pink as well.

"I love you, Ruby. I don't care what family says about us, or anyone else."

"Even if they disapprove?"

"Even if they were the one's I listened to for everything," Weiss stated, patting me on the head. "I love you for you, no one and nothing can change that. I've waited for you for so long, and my only regret dating you was not doing it sooner."

I smiled as Weiss finished, her too sporting a cheery grin as she pulled me off the bed and to my feet. After doing so she wrapped me in a hug, resting her head on my shoulder. "I love you, Ruby, I would never cheat, or hurt you, in any way. And I'm not just saying that because your sister would punch me 6 feet into the ground and mark it as my burial site." Weiss admitted, massaging my back as she did.

"I know Weiss, I wouldn't either." I returned.

"I know, I just wanted you to know," the heiress rose up to eye level again, placing her hands on my shoulders. "I don't want you to feel unloved or used in any way."

" _It's my promise, to you._ "

After the small talk, we made our way downstairs to the kitchen. Upon arrival, we noticed instantly that everyone was awake, sipping their beverages and eating breakfast at the island, I turned to Weiss, whom turned to me as well and nodded, finally approaching the family with our hands intertwined together.

* * *

 _About 12:00 p.m._

Markus placed our bags down in front of us at the airship, with MJ waddling over to say goodbye. Weiss was the first to react, picking up the dog as she walked over to Mark and gave him a hug. "It's time to say goodbye, once again." The heiress said, a small tear drop forming in her eye as she did. Mark simply smiled.

"Hey, don't cry girl. I'll always be around," The tall man responded, patting the shorter woman's head. "I might just drop by now and again too, just to see how you doin' and stuff. You have no worries."

Weiss smiled as Mark finally let go of her, wiping away the small tear from her eye and turning to me. "And you, little miss Rose."

Weiss moved on to her other family as Mark enveloped me in a warm hug as well, patting me on the back before finally letting go. "You take good care of that young lady right there, 'cause she loves you just as much as you love her."

"I will," I returned, doing a salute to reinforce it. "I promise, you can count on me!"

"Awesome girl," Mark stuck out his fist as we did a little bump to commemorate it. "Oh, one more thing girl, before you go."

The man pulled out a small, white-golden ring, with the SDC snowflake in the middle of it. "I happened to recover it from the wreckage of the house. I asked Winter if it'd be alright if I gave it to you, as a token of appreciation for your heroism, and she happily agreed," he stated, raising my hand gently as he slipped it onto my middle finger, fitting on said finger perfectly. I looked at the ring in pure awe, the thing was beautiful, as beautiful as Weiss. And it looked amazing on such a hand.

"Thanks Mark," I said, giving the man one last hug before we parted and went back to the rest of the family.

Will and Aria were the first to walk up to me, with the former extending out his hand as he smiled. "Goodbye Ruby, it's been a pleasure meeting you. I want to thank you for saving me back at Winter's mansion. Like I said, whatever you need, just give me a call okay?" Will spoke as I shook his hand.

"I will Mr Schnee, and thank you for letting me stay at your mansion," I said, returning my hand back to its original spot. "And for accepting me and Weiss. I know not a lot of people would accept us for.. _us_. So it means a lot to hear the CEO of the SDC giving us his blessing."

"Please, it was the least I could do for someone who risked their life to save mine." The white-haired man spoke, finally bowing as he stepped back to let Aria speak.

"Aw, it's too bad we have to see you two go so soon. It was good to finally meet you hun, I hope you and Weiss make it through anything that gets thrown at you." The older woman said, wrapping me in a bearhug that felt quite like Yang's.

"Thank you. I hope to see you two again." I said as Aria let me down.

Finally, Winter walked up to me, kneeling down in front of me as she looked over to Weiss, who was getting our things ready to go and talking with Mark, before returning her gaze to me. "Goodbye, Ruby. I enjoyed meeting you. I know you probably heard this a million times, but. You've helped Weiss so, so much. I have never seen my younger sister so happy, so determined, so energetic to life. I know you have clinical depression."

My eyes widened as she said the last sentence, the woman let up a smirk as she patted my shoulder. "It's okay, Weiss told me about it. So please, whenever you need a refill or a session. My family shall cover it. Also, we have a small house in Vale, outside of civilisation in the woods. It's been thoroughly cleared for yard space, and grimm repellant is placed all around the area. So you needn't worry about it. Whenever you feel you need to go visit it, or you want a place to relax with Weiss, you can go there," Winter spoke, handing me the key, along with a slip of paper, "the address is on the paper, just punch it in the GPS coordinates. It's not too hard to find, so you shouldn't worry too much about it."

I smiled as I hugged the white-haired woman tightly. "Thank you, Winter," I spoke. Winter patted my back as she too sported a smile now.

"You're welcome hun, just take good care of Weiss for me."

I nodded as we let go of each other. "I will."

After we were finished with the goodbyes Weiss and I made our way to the airship, waving one last time to them as we finally boarded the ship. Weiss and I sat down at our seats, putting our luggage in the top compartment beforehand as we finally settled in. We still saw the family stationed outside the ship. Unfortunately, they weren't able to see us through the glass, so we simply took one last look at them, before the airship started its engines.

"Wow, look! It's Winter and William Schnee! What're the Schnee's doing here?!" One of the passengers asked, looking out the window.

"I think I saw the youngest Schnee board on this ship along with a red haired girl just behind her," another passenger replied. "I think they're best friends or something."

"Man, I wish I could be that redhead right now," The former passenger spoke now. "What I'd do just to be that close to the heiress, I'm so jealous."

The chatter continued to permeate from a few cars down, with a couple other people noticing the popular Schnee's as they made small talk as well. Soon the aircraft lifted off, and the ship flew away from the port. We watched as the family shrunk whilst the ship flew away until we could no longer see them anymore and the thick fog from before shrouded the city once again. I turned my head to Weiss, who was on her scroll as she stared at a picture of the two of us. Though I remembered when we took the picture and recapped it well, it still surprised me how beautiful it was despite the resolution on the scroll camera. The picture was of us in Atlas, posted right in front of the Winter maiden statue.

It was the most beautiful picture I've ever seen.


	17. Special Chapter (US Thanksgiving Day)

**A/N: Hey. Welcome to the (American) Thanksgiving day Special Chapter. Now let's kick this off real quick. Start with some subjects that I want to discuss. I'll put them under their own personal categories, so those who don't wanna read all of it (A.K.A. Most of my damn readers) can just skip to the good shit.**

 **(Thank You's): So I just wanna give a big ass thank you to _boomnitro_ for the idea. Once I heard the plot for it, I had it pretty figured out. So THANK YOU my dood. Though I didn't exactly follow the whole thing - I mixed it up and changed it and what-not -. Thank you for your support. That's the kind of stuff I like to see when I'm looking for help, so thanks again. Also thank you to _GrnDrgnzrd_ who gave me the small plotlines I needed to make it even better.**

 **(Ashley): Alright, so I need to make a sort of special one for you, cuz you probably don't want to read all my ramblings. You got the wrong idea, I didn't want to make you panic like that or anything. The Story ARC is finishing, not the story in general. I have plans to continue writing it for awhile, how long I'm not sure, but I assure you personally that this ship shall keep sailing! (Choo choo)**

 **(Story Hunting): Alright. It's that time of the year to find newer content than what I've been reading. I'm looking for RWBY fics with some of the lesser known/popular ships. You know like Milk and Cereal (Pyrrha x Ruby), Monochrome, ladybug, energizer bunny (I think that's the ship name, Idk but it's Velvet x Ruby) crosshares. I think you get the point. Something other than the regular White rose and Bumblebee and Arkos and Renora main ships. So if you guys have any suggestions, or would like to see me read your own fics, leave it down in the comments. Of any duration btw.**

 **(S/N): Alright, finally. So it doesn't contain much: Humour and fun. some fluff, but it isn't the main subject. Also the end's kinda cut short. It wasn't that I wanted to cut it, I just ran out of time. Anyways, enjoy. And have a happy thanksgiving!**

* * *

"Welcome all to my cozy little hut."

To say it was a hut was a HUGE understatement. It was a MANSION fitted to look like a house, posted just outside of Vale in the woods. The place was magnificient, and even Weiss had to admit she was even a little awestruck at the house Winter and William had bought for the weekend. Log cabin-like feeling, open-concept, large wood fireplace, updated kitchen and washrooms, enough space for the festivities to ensue. It was beautiful.

"Oh, my, gooood," Nora exclaimed in glee. "This place is AMAZING!"

"I agree." Ren also added nonchalantly.

"Holy crap. Pyrrha, look out this window!" Jaune called out to his girlfriend, in-turn running up to the blonde haired boy at the large windows that seemed to case the house in a rather globe-like view.

"Wow. Okay. I must admit Winter, this might've been the second best investment you've ever made in your life." Weiss admitted, giving the girl a hug in greetings.

"I'm glad you like it, sister dearest." Winter returned, patting the younger sibling.

William Schnee walked out of the hallway that continued down the corridor, with his wife and step-daughter in-tow behind him with large smiles on their faces. "Ah, the guests have finally arrived," William announced, gaining the main attention as they all went up to the man to greet. "It's a divine pleasure to meet my daughters' friends. My name is William Schnee, this is my wife Aria Schnee and my step-daughter Mai."

"Hello everyooone~!" Aria greeted the group in her sing-song like cheery voice.

"Hi!" Mai spoke afterwards, waving to the crowd.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. And Mrs. Schnee, Mai. I am Jaune Arc," Jaune introduced, later showing his hand over to his team to introduce them. "This is my team, Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren, and-"

"NORA!" Ren bellowed, with the team in question looking over to the reason of the abrupt noise as it became clear. Nora had wandered off whilst the greeting was persuing. Evidence found she went into one of the rooms and found a hoverboard. Lo-and-behold, she was zooming left and right with her index finger pointed in the direction of her persuit. Jaune smacked his forehead in embarrassment, Pyrrha let up a soft giggle, and Ren started chasing the ginger-haired queen on wheels as she zoomed around the large house.

"Aaand, that's Nora Valkrie," The shaggy blonde finally concluded. "Together, we are team JNPR."

"Ah. Nice to meet you, Mr. Arc, Ms. Nikos." Will greeted, shaking both sets of hands as he announced them.

Aria and Mai walked up to the other team. "Ah! Ruby, Weiss. It's soo good to see you two!" Aria exclaimed, hugging and kissing them both on the cheek.

"A-Aria!" Weiss shouted, the woman giving a quizzical look afterwards.

"What? Oh, right. It's good to see you two as well!" Aria stated, giving the bumblebee couple one of her signature bearhugs.

"It's.. good to meet you... *grunt*" Blake spoke first, seemingly gasping for release.

"Jeez, I'm.. impressed.." Yang admitted, making the rest of the team surprised. Finally, Aria let go of the two as a beaming smile cascaded her face.

"I am Aria Schnee, as you heard. Will's wife," Aria introduced. "And this is my daughter, Mai-Lee Cirous."

"Hello," Mai greeted the two new faces, shaking both their hands at the same time. "It's nice to meet you!"

"AAAWWW SHE'S SOOO CUUUTTE!" Yang exclaimed, picking up the little girl as she squeezed her with all her might. Well, about halfway. Anymore and she'd probably burst out both ends like a tube.

"*GAA!* She's.. a hugger.." Mai gasped as Yang spun her around in the air in glee.

"Pardon my friend, she loves adorable things, especially people." Blake stated.

"SHE'S SOOO FRICKEN KAWAAAIIIIII!" Yang shouted, causing the victim of said kawaiiness to scream in terror.

"My name's Blake, this thickheaded blonde brute is Yang." The raven haired introduced.

"Helloooo~!" Yang sung at her name presented. Finally sitting the girl on her arms as she panted for her dear life.

"Dear Oum..*Pant* Mom.. *Pant* Hug.. *Pant* rivals.. *Wheeze* yours.." Mai muttered. Aria's attention piqued at the last statement.

"Aahh. So you're Ruby's sister, I'm guessing," The pink haired woman stated, extending out her hand. "Ruby told me about you. It's nice to finally meet you!"

* * *

A knock on the door brought the attention to the next set of guests. Winter opened the door to find Qrow in a rather expensive looking dark grey suit with a lighter grey stripe pattern on it. White dress shirt and a red tie. Taiyang, also sporting the suit and tie, and General James Ironwood in his usual garbs. While most had their attention drawn to the group in general, Winter had her cold glare pointed at a particular man.

"Hello! Welcome gentlemen, come in!" Winter greeted, allowing the men through the door, though stopping the Uncle of the Xiao-Long/Rose family.

"Woah baby, at least let me take off my jacket first!" Qrow joked, sporting a rather devilish grin. Winter rolled her eyes, smacking the man in the arm.

"I swear to god Qrow, you do something like last time's party and I'll kick your ass!" Winter snapped, pointing her finger right in his face.

"Ooooh, I wasn't even thinking about last time's party, but now that you mention it-"

"QROW!" Winter shouted, getting her backhand ready. The grey haired man held up his hands in surrender.

"Okay okay, I'm just joking." Qrow reasoned, leveling with the white haired woman as she lowered her attack.

"You better be." Winter stated, returning to the main room as she greeted the other guests. Qrow took a swig from his flask before greeting his neices and other team members. After all the greetings were done, Will walked over to a spot where everyone could see him.

"Alright. Ladies and gentlemen, now that all of the guests are here, let's get to work." William stated, making mostly the adults confused in the group.

"Work? I thought we came here to relax, and enjoy the thanksgiving weekend?" Taiyang spoke to Ruby.

"Didn't you read the invitation," Ruby asked, finally cluing in a key part of the info from said invitation. "Oh right, I never showed it to you. The invite said that the guests, a.k.a. us, would be needed to assist in the feast, as this isn't exactly their place and Atlas food shipping, blah-blah-blah anywho. Those who helped out would be given compensation of either money or discounts, William will give us money in order to pay for food. Etc."

"Ruby.." Tai spoke, making the girl in question turn to him.

"Yes daddy?" Ruby replied.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THIS THE DAY YOU INVITED ME?!" The blonde man burst, making Ruby jump in her spot as a sympathetic look formed on her face.

"W-well, you wouldn't have c-came down if I d-d-did," The redhead stuttered, shaking lightly as water droplets started to form in her eyes. "a-a-and I w-wanted to see y-you.."

Tai, tensing up at the saddened Ruby, shook his hands out. "N-no! That's not true! D-dont cry, Don't cry," Tai exclaimed, grabbing Ruby's shoulders as to try and level with her. "I would've come regardless of the requirements, I just would've been prepared had I known!"

"S-so, you'll help?" Ruby asked, the wobbly lip starting up now as she looked to her father.

"Of course sweetheart, I'll help." The blonde answered, sporting a smirk.

As soon as Tai answered, Ruby's sad-and-teary eyed look changed to a cheery smile in an instant as she jumped in the air. "Yay! Thanks daddy!" Ruby thanked with a content smirk, kissing her father on the cheek before leaving the blonde dumbfounded.

"W-wait.. What just happened," Tai pondered, confused as all hell. "Did she just... play me right under her thumb...?"

"Yup," Qrow answered from beside him, taking a swig from his flask. "Played you like a deck of cards. I've seen it happen before on many other people. I know the look, the 'on the verge of tears. Puppy-dog that got kicked' look, correct?"

Taiyang's eyes widened in shock. "Those eyes, they're just so.. hard to break free from," The man admitted, as if his soul had been sucked out of him. "Her mother knew that same damn spell too!"

After the conversation, the two men walked up to Winter, whom was giving out roles as well as envelopes, assumedly lien for the role given. The two finally walked up to the woman as she gave Taiyang the next card.

"Taiyang, I want you to help getting the food for the feast, here's your budget." Winter instructed, giving the man an envelope with '2500L' on it. Tai nodded.

"Understood ma'am." Tai replied. Winter finally turned to Qrow, whom was giving her a smug grin.

"Qrow, you can help clean the toilets here," Winter instructed. "I took the unfortunate liberty of checking every aspect of the house when I got here today, the bathrooms look best for your manliness."

"Aw come on princess," Qrow begged. "I've already promised I wouldn't do anything like last party, you can at least trust me with shopping."

Winter sighed. "Fine. You're in charge of getting drinks of both the alcoholic and non-alcoholic kind. EVEN amount, there are minors here that can't drink. And so help me Oum, if I see ONE bottle of booze open, you're sleeping outside. Clear?"

The grey-haired man saluted to the older Schnee. "Yes ma'am! Get the good shit and get back here A$AP. Not a drop consumed, ma'am!" He repeated, making Winter smack her forehead as she sighed again.

"Just get the drinks, you idiot." She spoke, handing the man an envelope as well. "I want to see the receipts from the payments. If there's a single penny that wasn't spent on the drinks-"

"Yeah yeah, I know. Doghouse, got it." Qrow interrupted, waving goodbye to the rather agitated Schnee as he made his way to his neices and the rest of the crew.

"Hey uncle! What task did you get?!" Ruby asked in an eager tone.

"Well, I was originally on washroom cleaning duty, but I sweet-talked the ice queen to warm her up a bit and got put on drinks." Qrow replied ever-so smoothly.

"Cool! I got desserts with kitty-kat." Yang stated.

"I got dinner shopping," Taiyang told the group, unveiling the list as it tumbled down onto the floor, stopping at the next person's feet. "Yeah, I gotta lot of work to do." he concluded.

"Damn man. How 'bout this: I go get the drinks while you continue shopping, when I'm finished I'll come help you. Deal?" Qrow bargained, holding out his hand to shake.

"Deal," Tai agreed, shaking the other's hand as they made their way out. "See you girls tonight!"

"So Weiss, what assignment do you have?" Ruby asked her white haired girlfriend, whose complexion changed to proud and dignified upon the question.

"Well, I got the most important task of all." Weiss stated, holding out the slip of paper to her side in honour.

"I don't think 'decorations' is the most important." Blake spoke up, easily able to read the note from beside the heiress. Said heiress retracted the paper back as she feigned a shocked expression.

"It most certainly is young lady! Setting the scene for the glorious holiday is the number 1 most important job!" Weiss defended.

"First. I'm only, like a few months younger than you. Second. Isn't cooking the food the number 1 most important job? And 2nd is getting said food?" Blake returned.

"W-well. Alright, it's not the most important on the list, but it is for this event!" Weiss shot back, making Blake sigh as she shook her head in uncertainty.

"If you say so princess," Blake stated, "Alright. We best be going, before Yang gets hungry and accidentally eats the pies on the walk back. See you guys later."

The bumblebee duo waved goodbye as they put on their jackets and made their way out the door, leaving just team JNPR and the white rose duo.

"What do you guys have?" Weiss asked the other team.

"Well, it appears Nora and I have kitchen duty with Aria." Ren told the heiress.

"Pyrrha and I have cleaning duty," Jaune spoke now, looking over Weiss' shoulder. "It looks like Winter's calling us over. We'll see you guys later."

And with that, the team went over to Winter to discuss, leaving just the two left.

"And what about you Ruby? What do you have?" Weiss turned to Ruby.

"Well. It looks like I got an important one too. I got to get firewood from the woods out back." Ruby stated, placing her hands on her hips as a look of pride emitted from her. While the little huntress was excited, the other woman showed otherwise as a look of worry and concern formed on her complexion.

"Do you have anyone to accompany you? Perhaps I can get Winter to let me tag along too." Weiss asked, clearly nervous about the role.  
"Just me for this one! And don't worry Weiss. The grimm slow down a lot during the winter. And your sister gave me a safeguard should I be in trouble," Ruby spoke, showing the heiress a red and green flare that seemed to have a small box attached to it. "It's a christmas flare, she made one for this event. Though it's not really the time of the year for sleigh bells. It flashes a green and red light as a christmas carol plays in the background."

"Are you sure? If you need someone else-"

"Nope! All I need is my baby," Ruby interrupted, patting the red metal of her scythe at her side. "Don't worry Weiss! If I need help, I'll contact you and Winter."

Weiss sighed as to try and alleviate some of the worry on her. She walked up to the younger huntress as she enveloped her in a hug, cupping her chin as she looked into her silver eyes. "Alright. I'm worried about you Ruby. But I won't overprotect you, I trust you. If you need help though, call me immediately. I will be there in a flash. Okay?" The heiress spoke.

"Okay," Ruby replied. "I promise."

"Okay," Weiss smirked, cupping her cheeks now. "I want my little Ruby back in one piece, got it? Be safe."

Weiss pulled her girlfriend in for a kiss as she coursed her hands through the redhead's scalp and neck. Ruby wrapped her arms around the heiress' back as she deepened the kiss. Finally, it ended as the two panted lightly for air.

"Good luck." Weiss said as Ruby released the older girl, watching her little dolt wave goodbye as she opened the door.

* * *

 _Meanwhile. At the grocery store._

Yang looked left and right for the last item on the list, frustrated that she couldn't find the last dessert on the damn list. ' _It's one damn thing! How fucking hard is it to find one last thing!_ '

"Yang!" Blake shouted at her girlfriend, snapping her out of her maddened thoughts.

"Yes kitty?" Yang answered, her anger not evident in her tone.

"I said this 3 times already, you're crushing my hand!" Blake snapped, Yang instantly releasing the girl as the faunus massaged her palm.

"Sorry Blake. It's this fucking dessert! It's the last one right? So why the fuck can we not find the damn thing?!" Yang exclaimed, pointing around the dessert aisle to emphasize her point.

"Well, what is it? Maybe I can tune into the scent."

Yang showed the item on the list to the faunus, Blake nodded as she gave up a slight smirk "Oh, I remember trying that. It was soo delicious.."

"Blake! Focus!" Yang shouted, snapping Blake back to reality as she wiped away the small drool from her lip.

"Sorry. Alright. I know the scent well, thanks to past memories," Blake stated, "But it's not sold here. Come on."

The raven haired girl lead her blonde bimbo of a girlfriend to the counter where a big glass freezer sat in between their kitchen and the grocery store. Blake pointed to the exact cake that the two were looking for with a grin on her face. Not an 'I told ya so' look, but rather a 'We finally found it' look. The blonde smirked as she kissed her girlfriend's cheek. "That's my girl. When we get home, I might treat you to some catnip." The blonde stated, piquing the girl's interest as she gave the brute a pleading look.

"Ooohh... can it be the extra strength stuff too?" The raven haired faunus asked, cupping her hands as to beg.

"Sure kitty." Yang answered, patting the girl's head as the baker finally arrived around the corner with a fresh cake in his grasp.

"Oh, sorry for the wait lady's, got a big order in just now for a couple of cakes," The man said, putting the cake that was in his arms aside as he wiped his hands off on his apron and went to the cash register. "How may I help you?"

"Can we have that raspberry and strawberry cheesecake please?" Blake asked, forking out cash. "That'll be all."

The man nodded as he took out the two cakes and placed it on the counter, pressing a couple buttons on the register as the till opened up. The faunus girl paid for the cakes as the man gave the girl her change and bagged the desserts, handing them to the blonde. The two waved goodbye as they made their way to the checkout aisle of the grocery store, walking out of the store with a bunch of bags of goods.

"Good job Blakey, we would've been there for hours if you hadn't picked up on it." Yang said, puckering up as she went halfway to the faunus.

"Well, it wasn't hard to find, cheesecakes need to be refrigerated. But thank you." Blake said quickly, mimicking the taller girl's action as she gave her a peck on the lips.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, at the market._

"Why can't we get that stringy foam web stuff?! It's perfect!"

"For the last time Qrow, Winter will hang you by one of her glyphs and leave you to the nevermores if you do that to her during her thanksgiving party," Taiyang hissed, snatching the can from the older man's hand before he could retract it. "And as much as I'd like to see that, Ruby and Yang would be mad. So keep your wild ideas in that thick head of yours."

Qrow sighed as his shoulders slumped. "Man, I expected you to be far more into my ideas today than ever, why you gotta rain on my parade?" He asked.

"Any other day would be fine. But as long as my daughter's and their girlfriend's are at the party I need to act like a mature adult. What kinda parent would be shooting foam webs around the place?"

"Uhh.. the fun kind of parent?"

"No, you idiot, the one that does it when the younger one's aren't looking," Tai stated, tapping his forehead. "See, you gotta play smart."

"Eh, whatever. Let's just get the rest of the shit on the list." Qrow said, losing patience quickly as the two men strolled down the aisle.

Tai ripped the list in half, careful as to not ruin one of the things on it as he gave the old man one half. "Here, get the stuff on this half of the list. It shouldn't be too hard to find. I'll continue with my half." The blond stated. The two nodded as Qrow turned around and made his way to the front to grab himself a cart, leaving Taiyang to take care of the rest of the stuff on his end.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, back at the cabin._

Weiss huffed as she tried to get the decoration above the hallway entrance, standing atop a ladder. The young Schnee sighed. "Screw this." She stated, placing a glyph just an inch higher than the ladder as she stepped on it and attaining an eye-level with the hook. Finally, she placed the decoration up as she smirked, stepping back onto the ladder as she slid down the sides and landing with a small hop as she continued her job.

While the younger Schnee was busy putting up the decorations, the older Schnee was placing the small decorations all around the house. Turkeys, pumpkins, scarecrows and other decorations of the thanksgiving holiday spirit. She placed the last small pumpkin on the counter as she let out a relieved sigh. "There, all done."

Winter turned around as she walked up to her younger sibling, clasping her hands together behind her back. "Sister dearest, do you require any assistance?"

"Huh? Oh no, I'm good." Weiss answered in a clearly uneasy hinted this easily, kneeling down to the heiress' level.

"Weiss, dear. Is something wrong?" Winter asked in a comforting matter. "You can tell me anything, I'm your sister after all."

Weiss sighed as she looked out the window. "I'm just.. a little concerned about Ruby. I don't like it when she goes out to grimm infested areas on her own. I know she's got a scary-ass scythe, but she's also clumsy sometimes. What happens if she gets disarmed, or she loses her grip on it? Ruby's like a newborn deer without her weapon Winter."

Winter sighed as she placed her hand on the younger's shoulder. The older Schnee paused for a moment, before finally speaking. "I had a girlfriend once, who worried about me sick during my week-long missions. When I'd come home she'd break down in my arms, tell me she missed me and such. She was like that for almost all of my trips. But as we continued to date, she became more and more relaxed about it, each mission I went on she mellowed out more and more. It had gotten to the point where I started worrying that she didn't love me and was cheating on me while I was away. I asked her one night, when we were spending quality time together on the patio, why she wasn't as worried about me as before. She told me that she still worried about me sick, even when she knew for certain that I'd come home. But she knew that focusing all of her attention on me would distract her from when I came home again."

Winter turned Weiss around, placing her other hand on the younger sibling's other shoulder. "The moral lesson of the story is; you can't devote your whole time stressing out. Instead wait for the time when you can be with the one you love once again."

Weiss took a moment to register the words, before returning to her sister's gaze with a relieved grin. "Alright, I will." She spoke, giving the woman a nod.

"That's the spirit. Now come on, let's go do the outside decor.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, at the market (again)._

Qrow was in a rather heated battle. One of supreme strength, diligency, delicasy, and most of all, wit.

He was fighting for the last ham. His opponent, the scariest of all, the most fearless.

Crazy grandma.

"Hey! Gimme the damn ham old lady!" Qrow demanded, tugging his meat as he tried to gain the upper hand.

"You're just as old as me, fucker!" The elderly woman shouted, tugging his meat now too.

The two went on with the battle for what felt like an hour, before the grandmother pulled out her cane, smacking the other old person right in the head as Qrow's natural instinct to cup the pained area kicked in. As soon as he did, the grandma swung the other way now. This time, smacking him right in the groin as the man squealed in pain. Qrow slid down to his knee's, laying down on the cold tile floor as the old woman left with a 'hmph'

"Serves you right, jackass." The woman quipped as she hopped on her motorized cart and made her way down the next aisle.

Qrow finally gained his second wind as he rose from the floor, getting up slowly as he leaned against the railing of the freezer. Snickering and small giggles suddenly registered in his mind as he turned around, finding Taiyang behind him with tears in his eyes.

"You got your ass kicked by an old granny," The blond man laughed, bending over as he slapped his knee. "That was hilarious!"

"Shut up," Qrow blurted, his face turning red as he continued to hold his crotch. "She was crazy! That old bitch knew I was after that ham, she came racing down on that stupid lazy man's ride of a motorized cart and tried to snatch it out of my hands. If I hadn't heard her drive up she would've taken it right out of my grasp!"

"She still did though." Tai proclaimed as his laughing fit subsided.

"Damn, was the last thing on the list too," Qrow sighed. "That bitch.."

"Well, if it was the only thing, I think we can get it tomorrow. I don't think Winter will need it tonight."

"Alright," Qrow agreed. "Let's get going then, before someone steals our cab as well."

The two gentlemen made their way to the checkout station, with Tai handing out the cash as Qrow loaded them back into the cart. The two made their way back to their taxi, whom was waiting outside for them. After loading the bags in the car the two hopped in, as they made their way back to the party.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, in the forest._

A tree tipped over in the large forest, crackling all the way before finally landing on the ground with a thud. At the stump of the tree stood Ruby, letting out light breaths as she wiped the sweat off her forehead. "There. Another one for the stack." She said to herself as she placed her scythe at the end of the tree, shooting a few times as she sliced through the middle with ease. Now two halves of the tree sat on the ground as she began to cut them horizontally. Once Ruby was finished, she placed them on a red sleigh that she used to carry the cut timber on, finally starting the walk home.

It started to get dark pretty quickly as the redhead pressed forward to the house. About halfway into the walk, it was pitch black. Ruby turned on the head light that had been provided by Winter, continuing on with that plus her scroll light as she continued to walk. The little huntress was starting to second-guess herself. ' _Did it really take this long? Maybe I went the wrong way.._ '

Ruby checked her scroll, finding she was going the right way on the map. The huntress sighed, steeling herself as she continued to walk. ' _It is the right way._ ' She thought to herself.

Before long, she saw lights in the distance, in the shape of squares. The hooded girl sighed as she saw the large cabin. Ruby parked the sleigh at the wood storage area before going around the house and entering.

"Hey guys, I'm back!" Ruby called out, catching Winter and Weiss' attention as they walked up to her.

"Ah, Ruby. You're finally back," Winter greeted, giving the girl a light hug. "I was starting to get worried I'd have to go find you."

Ruby giggled. "I thought you would too. I thought I was going the wrong way at first, and it felt like it was taking a lot longer than it should've, but I finally found my way."

The next to greet the young warrior was Weiss. The heiress wrapped her arms around the girl as they kissed, a warm, comforting homecoming feeling vibrating in the redhead's stomach as she deepened the kiss.

"Okay. Let's save the gooey, lovey stuff another time, dinner is ready!" Tai said. Ruby's cheeks reddened as she nodded in compliance. As the two, along with the rest of the family, sat down around the already set table.

Everyone bowed their heads, doing a small prayer as Weiss and Ruby got one last quiet kiss in, before the family all started digging in.


	18. Home, Sweet Home

**IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ! Okay, first thing's first. Welcome back to TWR. I'll keep this paragraph quick. I NEED YOU GUYS TO READ THESE! I know I write long a/n's sometimes, and I'm sorry. And I know you have free reign to do what you want. But this is the only way I can communicate with my fanbase, and ask questions that I want you guys to answer. This is the SECOND time I've asked questions that nobody even saw. I know you just wanna get to reading. So ALL I ASK, is that you skim through my a/n's, I don't care if you don't read the full thing, that's fine I'm used to it, but could you at least look through it and respond to anything I ask? That's all I want. So please, read over last time's a/n and reply back to me. But without further ado, enjoy.**

 **Story Note: So this segment explains Adam's situation. And introduces a new character. Also, in the scene change (in the woods), when Ruby picks up the toy under the tree. It's the grimm repellant. I had an idea that homemade repellant could be made from the object's that held positive memories. Cause grimm are attracted to negativity. The idea is that you set the object somewhere, and do a quick ritual including some kinda holy dust. The memories encased in the object flow around the area, keeping away beasts. One last thing, I didn't have time to edit this, so I apologize in advance if this isn't very well written out.**

 **I hope to get at least 1 review this time.**

* * *

The airship finally landed at the Vale international airport, as Weiss and I started to get our things together. The same routine as the first time, with the 'rushers' going through first, and then the rest of us leaving shortly after. Another airship ride later and we were back at Beacon academy.

Home.

I let out a large sigh, leading to a slight smirk as we gawked at the CCT in the afternoon sky. I checked my scroll for the time, finding it was just past 4 and classes were over. I felt Weiss' grasp tighten, making me turn to her. "Weiss," I spoke, noticing the usual shimmer in her eyes felt a little duller than usual. I knew just why, but I asked anyway. "Are you alright hun?"

Weiss didn't respond. Just stood there, looking up at the sky, at the tower. It took her about a minute before she returned to the present topic. "What was that Ruby?" She asked.

"I asked if you were okay," I repeated.

Weiss gave a slight nod in quick response. "Yeah, I'm alright. Just glad to be home," Weiss answered, "after all we've been through this weekend, it's good to see a familiar academy I feel proud to be in again."

I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we deserve a little rest for what happened. Especially you."

"Wha-me! What about the person who suffered the most injury?" Weiss rebuked.

"You've suffered the most, this was your family, I'd be worried shitless if either my uncle, my dad or my big sis was in danger."

"Well, you worried me just the same! I was just as worried for you as I was my own family!"

I stood with a slightly shocked look at Weiss. "You realized you just admitted it now too." I remarked.

Weiss clued in at what she had just stated, looking down with a sigh as she stood in front of me and wrapped her arms around my collarbone, stopping me in my tracks. "I think we've both had an equally hurtful weekend, both mentally and physically."

I gave a small nod in the crook of her neck. "Yeah, I admit I'm feeling a little under the weather after that escapade." I admitted, wrapping my arms around her back.

"I'll be fine, it's just a phase. It'll pass," Weiss spoke, letting me go. "But let's not think about it right now. I'm tired and I'd like to take a nap. You look a little fatigued too."

We continued our walk back to Beacon's dormitory, and it didn't take long before we were in front of our dormroom, ready to walk inside and just sleep. I opened the door, finding Blake and Yang unpacking their luggage as vacation clothes splayed around the room. "Oh hey, guys! You're back," I greeted the duo. "How's the cruise?"

"It was pretty good," Blake answered nonchalantly, leaving us with more questions than answers.

"Why're you two back so early? I thought it was a week-long cruise?" Weiss asked, earning a low groan from the raven haired girl.

"Well, the start was nice: We got on the boat, ate like queens, danced like princesses. Yada yada yada," Yang explained. "Two days into the cruise, Blake wanted to spend some time soaking up the sun in her new bikini I got her. So we went to the pool area."

"O-okay! Lemme just state i-it was instinct-"

"about a few hours at the pool, I went to go get us some drinks. Apparently, while I was gone for the whole 3 minutes at the bar, Blake got knocked into the pool, got out of said pool soaked and beat the living shit out of the fucker who pushed her in. I came back to security pulling away her and the guy. Long-story-short, we were kicked off the cruise on the next ship back to Beacon."

"Yang, I said I was sorry, like, 20 times!" Blake spoke with a guilt-ridden face.

"We just got back 10 minutes ago. It was about a 12-hour ride on the airship," Yang finally concluded, "but it looks like we weren't the only ones that went on a trip. Where were you two?"

"Well, I should probably explain at the start," Weiss said, putting her luggage on her bed. "We went out on a date friday night. And on our airbus ride to Vale Ruby asked to go to Atlas to go see my family. I had to pull a few favours, but we got tickets for an afternoon flight."

Yang nodded in compliance to the story as I dropped my bag on Weiss' bed, giving the heiress a kiss on the cheek before walking into the bathroom as I heard Weiss continue the story of our adventure. After doing my duty and washing up I could hear the conversation increasing it's tone. Suddenly, a large bang on the other side of the door made me jump as I ran out the washroom to find Yang holding Weiss against the wall by her bolero jacket, eyes a seething red and her teeth clenched tightly.

"My sister nearly got killed on that trip, What the fuck were you thinking?!" The aggravatedd brute shouted.

"I didn't know this'd happen! Ruby just jumped in the way of the attack! Do you not think I was just as worried as you are now!" Weiss returned, an agitated look forming on her face as well.

"Don't lie to me like that! She wouldn't-"

"STOP!" I shouted, making both girls freeze up as they looked over to me with slightly worried faces etched on both.

"Put her down!" I commanded, acid and vigor in my voice as Yang complied easily. Weiss brushed herself off as she straightened her jacket and stepped aside.

"What is going on?" I asked in a calmed tone, though still simmering beneath it all.

"You nearly got killed this weekend and it was just brought up today! Do you know how broken I would be if you died?!" Yang rebuked. Though her facial complexion showed anger, her eyes were on the verge of tears. I sighed, walking up to my sister as I enveloped her in a hug.

"I'm sorry Yang. I didn't want to worry you and spoil your trip for the week. I was going to tell you eventually, but it slipped my mind after what else happened this weekend." I explained.

"Wait, THERE'S MORE?!" Yang exclaimed, a frightened tone in her voice.

"*sigh* It's complicated, but everything's taken care of," I concluded, looking up to the brute as I held her shoulders. "But Weiss has had it just as bad as I have this weekend, so lighten up on her will you?"

Yang looked over to the heiress-in-topic, whom had a slightly guilty look on her face. "..Listen, Yang," Weiss began as said blonde walked over to her. "I'm sorry I d-"

The heiress was cut-off when Yang wrapped her in a firm hug, rubbing the girl's back shortly afterwards. "I'm sorry Weiss, I should've believed you. My hotheadedness took control of me again. I'm sorry." Yang repeated as she let go of the white haired girl.

"Thank you Yang." Weiss returned, giving the blonde a smile. Yang repeated the pleasant look as we all returned to unpacking our bags.

"So what exactly happened?" Blake asked, right as Weiss and I finished unpacking our things. We both sat down on our bed as Blake and Yang sat on the opposite side, awaiting our eventful story.

"Well, you guys heard the news, right?" I asked the duo, in-turn nodding their heads.

"We watched it, but we don't know the story from two of the victims of the event." Blake replied.

"Well, it's kinda a complicated story," I stated, rubbing my chin in thought, "where do I start.."

"It all started in the dining room," Weiss spoke up.

"When I was about to come out to my family."

* * *

 _One long-ass story later._

After the full story was told to the duo. The two sat in awe, shocked at how 'eventful' our weekend was. Blake, once again, was the first to speak up.

"So right as you were about to out yourself, the White Fang launched an attack on your sister's mansion?"

Weiss nodded to answer. "Yes. About 2 White Fang squads marched through the doorstep. Along with their leader." She spoke.

The cat faunus' eyes widened in horror at the last statement provided. "The leader?! Was he in black and red, red hair swept back and his full weapon in his clutch?!" Blake questioned rather quickly.

"Y-yes, you described his primary traits." I answered.

"W..wait, you know this man," Yang asked her girlfriend, turning to the raven haired faunus girl. "Blake, who exactly is he?"

Blake looked around the room, noticing our gazes were just as glued to her as Yang's. She let out a sigh, looking down at the floor just before she began. "Years ago, when I was just a young catgirl, there was a boy who grew up with me. Back then the White Fang were still just a peaceful bunch of protesters, trying to gain equality and freedom the right way. When WF changed it's course of action, they made him the heir to the organization. His name was Adam Taurus. He was once a nice boy, aiming to gain peace and love of both species. But back then, faunus were practically free-game to the regular hunter's and huntresses. His mother was killed right in front of him. And his father, a human, led the assault. They burned down his home, leaving him to the shallows of the camp. Hell-bent on revenge, he devoted the rest of his life to the art of Iaido-wielding, later learning his semblance. He finally gained his revenge at the age of 14, killing anyone affiliated in his mother's execution. That's when WF started popping up on the worldwide map. As proof of his devotion to the White Fang, he brought the old leader his traitorous father's head, earning him a promotion as his right-hand man. Soon after, the old leader became ill and too old to lead the front lines. And so he became the leader to the deadliest organization on Remnant at the early age of 17."

Blake took a breath as she continued to stare at the floor, an uncomforting look clear on her face. "I.. know all this... because I was his apprentice back when I was with the White Fang."

"W..what..?" Yang could only muster, her face showing a mix of fear and attentativeness.

"I was by his side for every assault, every hijack, every stakeout. And I watched as his hatred for humanity only grew more and more as did his push for dominance. He's an unstable man, a perfect depiction of a monster. And he won't let anything get in his way, be it human or grimm."

"W-what do we do?" I asked Blake in a scared tone, worried about the consequences. Blake waved her hands out in support of her statement.

"He's not going to come after you guys, at least that's my most sure answer. I never heard him discuss kidnapping the heiress to the SDC, nor do I think it's on the tables at all. All I am saying is; if you happen to cross paths with him again, you better have your full strength and a sharp blade to be able to stop him."

Blake intertwined her hands together in her lap, looking at them as if it was her last resort. "I-I'm, sorry I didn't tell you guys. You were all shellshocked when I told you I was once a member of WF, I didn't know what you'd think if I told you I was once the right-hand woman to the deadliest faunus, and the strongest terrorist organization on Remnant. Especially you, Yang."

Tear drops fell on her hands, though she didn't weep, or break down, she sat there, staring at her hands for a good moment or so before standing up and walking. "I-I'll, leave you guys to th-"

Blake's sentence was cut off by a firm hand grasping her wrist. The faunus girl looked over to the source to find Yang with a determined and empathetic face. "No. After what you said, I think we've all made up our minds," The blonde spoke, standing up and wrapping her girlfriend in a firm hug. "We made up our minds a year ago, and we aren't gonna change that now. We don't care if you were once a foot soldier, or the next-up to the throne. We all love you for _you_ : Your quietness, your effort, your love of stories and your introvertedness. We all do, especially me."

"B-but, Yang-"

"I don't care," Yang cut-off, cupping her girlfriend's cheeks as she looked into her amber eyes. "If he ever comes back here, I'll protect you with my life. I promise."

Weiss and I walked over to Blake as well, embracing the two as we all huddled together. "We all promise. We're a team after all." I spoke, with Weiss nodding in-turn.

Blake smiled, a single tear running down her face as she tightened her hold on us all. "Thanks you guys." She spoke.

"And Yang?"

"Hm?-"

Yang turned her head back over to Blake, cutting her off as warm lips pressed on hers. We stepped back a bit as the duo continued their passionate makeout in front of us. I nudged the white haired girl beside me. "Maybe we should give 'em a little alone time." I said quietly as Weiss nodded in agreement.

We walked over to the doorway as the heiress grabbed one of their flower necklaces from their cruise. "We'll let you two have some quality time." I spoke, with Yang giving an 'ok' with her hand as her mouth was kinda occupied at the moment. We both exited the room, placing the necklace on the door knob as we briskly walked through the hallway and down the stairs.

"So, what should we do for the next few hours," Weiss asked, looking at her scroll. "It's only 5:30, and the sun's still in the sky."

"I got an idea," I stated, giving the heiress a smug grin as the girl returned with a confused look.

"We're going for a hike!"

* * *

"How much further Ruby," Weiss asked for what felt like the hundredth time. "It's nice being out here and all, but walking through a grimm-infested forest in high-heels isn't the best."

I knelt down at a particular tree that had an 'X' engraved on it, picking up a toy doll underneath the mark. "We're almost there hun, just a little more." I answered as I put the toy down and walked past the tree. Weiss let out a small sigh as we pressed on through the bush.

I pulled out my scroll as I went into my map, pulling up the coordinates that I had punched in before departure. "Where are we going exactly? You never told me where..."

Weiss paused her antics as she stared up at the sky. I looked up as well, finding we were finally at our destination.

The log cabin in the woods.

"We're going," Weiss finally finished, walking closer to me. "W-what is this place?"

"Winter told me, before we left Atlas, that there was an isolated log cabin just outside of Vale that she bought. She gave me the keys and said we could come here as much as we liked," I answered, grabbing Weiss' arm. "Come on!"

We walked up the stairs of the large cabin, noticing the SDC logo on the side of the house with the company name carved underneath it. I pulled out the keys, opening the doors to a nice living room/kitchen area. We noticed the place had running electricity and water as the whole place looked to be updated for comfortable living. "This place is beautiful, like a dream-house." I said, looking at the ceilings as I did a slow 360 around the area.

"Winter sure has her tastes." Weiss replied, taking off her shoes as she set them aside the doorway.

We both walked through the large cabin, finding bedrooms and a bathroom all on the 1st floor. We finally made it to the other doorway, opening the doors as we stepped outside to a gorgeous lake view right on the porch.

"Wooow..." I mumbled in awe, watching the lake sparkle in the afternoon sky. I turned to Weiss, whom was also admiring the lake view, though she seemed rather lost in thought.

"Weiss?" I called out to her. The woman in question did not answer, just continued to look out at the view. I waved my hand around to catch her eye, which proved effective as she snapped her gaze to me.

"S-sorry hun, what did you ask?" The heiress apologized, giving me her full, undivided attention.

"I was just wondering if you were alright, you look lost in thought." I answered honestly. Weiss simply smiled as she came in closer to me.

"I'm alright, I could just see us together living in this cabin. It makes me admire the future a whole lot," The white haired teen answered, wrapping her arms around my hips. "You and I, sitting here on the porch every morning, reading a book or just gazing at the scenery for hours."

"Yeah," I spoke up. "I'd love that."

Weiss let up another smile, that type of smile that always made my knees weaken and my heart flutter.

"I'd love that too, more than anything."

"Weiss? Is that you?" An aged voice spoke from behind us. We both turned around to find an old man with white hair standing behind us in a pilled brown long-sleeve shirt and white dress pants. As soon as the man was visible, Weiss let up a gleeful smirk, leading to a smile.

"Grandpa? Grandpa Waldin?!" Weiss spoke, eliciting a smile from the old man as the two walked up to each other to embrace.

"Oh! It's so good to see you, my little snow goddess," The grandfather said, retracting from her embrace as they kept hold of each other's arms'. "My god, have you grown up so much! I barely recognized you from upstairs!"

The two returned for another embrace, making me smile at the reunification of her grandfather. The two finally parted, with Waldin turning his gaze over to me. "Ah, and who might this lovely redhead be?" He asked, waltzing up to me along with Weiss.

"Ruby, this is Grandpa Waldin Schnee. The maker of the Schnee Dust Company back in his day."

"Ho ho, please muffin. I'm only 65." The man spoke, patting the heiress' head as he returned back to me.

"Grandpa. This is Ruby, my girlfriend and team's leader." Weiss continued, an uneasy feeling churning in my gut as I expected the worst.

"Girlfriend, did ya say," Waldin quipped, focusing harder on me as he pulled out his glasses and scruffed his chin. "Hmm... well. Might I say Weiss, you've picked a rather hot one, she's cute."

Weiss' usual achromatic complexion completely fled her body as she burst into a harsh shade of red, and I was certain a small trail of blood was coursing it's way from her tomato-red nose. "G-grandpa?!" The red-faced teen blurted in embarrassment as she wiped away the nosebleed.

The old man let out a hardy chuckle, turning his gaze over to her now with a smug grin. "Now now, I'm only teasing dear." He spoke, patting his granddaughter's head.

Waldin turned his gaze back over to me, holding out his hand as a warming smile spread across his lips. "It's a blessing to finally meet my granddaughter's lover. Ruby, was it?" He asked.

I nodded to answer him as I shook hands with the old man. "Yes sir, I'm Ruby Rose," I greeted. "It's so nice to meet you too, Mr. Schnee."

"Please dear. You don't have to greet me with such formality, just call me Wally." Waldin returned.

"Okay, it's nice to meet you Wally."

Wally nodded in acknowledgement as a smirk spread on his lips once more, waving us both to come in alongside him.

We sat down as the old man offered us some beverages, returning with our orders as he too sat down in a chair beside us. "So grandpa, what're you doing here? I mean, It's so good to see you again, but why are you here all alone?" Weiss asked once the man got comfortable.

"I had a feeling you'd be wondering. It's kind of a long story, so I'll just break it down as brief as possible." He spoke, placing his mug down.

"Do you remember the last time you saw me? The last official time?" Waldin asked.

Weiss tried to recap the moment, a deep search it seemed as she closed her eyes. Finally, she looked back to her grandfather and nodded. "Yes, back at the SDC corporate building. I was 7 years old, you told me you'd see me again when I was old enough to understand." She spoke.

"Well. To be honest, I was gonna do it soon. But it appears you beat me to it," The man replied. "That day, your father and I had a big fight. You see. He couldn't see it, but I saw what his wife, your mother, was doing. He was too 'lovestruck' to comprehend what was happening, so he defended her. I said some bad things, as did he, and we parted ways. A few years later, I got a call from your sister, Winter. She asked me to come live with her in her mansion. While I was delighted to come live with her, I didn't want to lose my sense of independence. So after conversating with her she let me live here, as long as I maintained it and was allowed guests. I think I moved here right when you were about... 9 or 10 years old."

"Wow," Weiss remarked, holding her chin with her hand as she thought back to that time. "That was right when Dad and Snow's divorce started."

"Divorce? He got divorced?"

"Actually, the other way around; he divorced her. She didn't care for us, and tried to pry us away from dad. He finally clued in and told her she either accept us and lived with it, or leave," Weiss explained. "She chose the latter."

"Wow, how long did the divorce last?"

"Too long."

* * *

After the long explanation, the pieces seemed to click together in the old man's head as he nodded attentatively. "That explains some things." He said, taking a sip of his coffee.

"And here we are now. Dad's remarried, Winter and I came out to him, Winter's mansion's in shambles and Snow's in jail."

"W-wait, how's she in jail? I thought she ran the SDC still?" Waldin questioned.

"Well, it's a long story, but basically: Ruby and I went up to Atlas to visit my family, right about the time the White Fang attacked the mansion, The next day we went over to the SDC building so dad could discuss some things, Snow kinda.. found out we were gay, and so she tried to kill my girlfriend."

"Jesus! What a crazy bitch," The gandpa Schnee stated. "I knew she was no good from the start."

"And now, dad's the CEO, she's behind bars, and everything is.. well, it's salvageable." Weiss concluded, propping her head on her arm as she let out a sigh.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear she almost hurt your girlfriend, but Snow's a basic bitch, she could never adapt and accept the new world before her. And that's something I pushed to achieve back when I was in office," Waldin sympathised. "Don't believe in anything she said, cause in the end she was the villian, not anyone else."

"She did more than hurt her, she almost died! Snow tried to strangle Ruby to death," Weiss spoke, pointing over to me. "Ruby, could you show him the marks please?"

I nodded unemotionally as I pulled down the collar of my longsleeve dress. The man looked in horror at my neck, and while I couldn't see it, I knew very well how bad it looked. My neck was all purple and black. It didn't hurt me, so long as I didn't irritate it. But it was still visibly horrid. I fixed my collar again as I smirked. "I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for Weiss. I was near death when she knocked Snow over. A second longer and I don't think I'd have made it."

"And my father wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you. You risked your life for him."

"That was you who saved Will?!" Waldin exclaimed, to which I nodded.

"Yeah, I jumped in the way of the leader's blade as he was about to execute him." I answered.

The old Schnee's complexion changed to a relieved grin. "Thank you so much, for saving my son."

I smiled as well, as I did a bow.

"You're welcome sir."

We noticed the afternoon sun was soon turning into a dusk setting. Weiss stood up and told Waldin we had to go back home, but we'd be back soon. The heiress had to use the washroom quickly, going over to the lavoratory as the door shut. I turned to the old man, whom placed his hand on my shoulder. "I can tell Weiss really likes you, as does her family. You have my blessing," he spoke.

I gave the old man a smile as I nodded. "Thank you sir." I said.

"You obviously have befriended Winter, to have been able to get the key to this cabin. Can you do me a favour? When you go back to Atlas, if you go back. Can you tell Will I'm sorry?"

"Why don't you just call him? Speak with him yourself?" I asked.

"W-well, I'm afraid he won't want to speak with me. That we'll get into another fight." Waldin admitted.

"Well, you never know until you try," I stated. "family should never be disconnected from each other. Especially one you love dearly."

"B-but-"

"Nope! No but's! Just apologize and talk to each other."

"And if he doesn't wanna talk?"

"Then at least he knows you were thinking of him, and trying to move on," I answered, patting the man on the shoulder. "Besides. I think he misses you."

Waldin gave me a surprised look, soon forming to a warming smile. "Okay, I'll call him tonight."

"Great! I think he'd really like that."

The old man smiled as he patted my head. "Thank you Ruby," He spoke, "take good care of Weiss for me, will you?"

I nodded. "Yes sir, I will do my best."

Weiss returned from the washroom as she gave her grandfather one last hug goodbye, as we made our way outside. We waved to the old man, whom mirrored the gesture as we strode through the forest.

On our way home


	19. Special Chapter (Christmas) (Part 1)

**Heyo! Welcome to the special Christmas Eve chapter! I decided to post it today (Xmas Eve, for those of you reading this at a later date) because I didn't want to post it on Christmas day. The way I see it: Everybody's away with family and friends, exemption of those few unfortunately having to work. So even** _ **I**_ **won't be working at all tomorrow. BUUUT, just because I ain't workin don't mean I didn't prepare ahead of time! I got BOA practically finished, I just need to edit it and get it greenlit by** _ **Topaz**_ **. And I already have plans for the New Year's Chapter! But anyway, there are some things that are REALLY IMPORTANT SO PLEASE READ THE TOPICS! Thank you.**

 _ **William's Name**_ **:** _ **theta ksi**_ **No, I won't be changing Will's name to Jaque's, mainly because 1: I HATE his canon name, he's not even french or anything. And 2: Because the canon Mr. Schnee's a dickhead, and the one I portrayed feels more mellow, more acceptive and more importantly, more loving to his children and society. So yeah, Will's staying Will.**

 _ **deathgundam006**_ **: Thank you for your story request. I haven't had much time to look over it, but thank you for that. Also thank you, I appreciate you liking my work.**

 **Crosshares Ship: To** _ **GrnDrgnzrd**_ **, who also added the Crosshares idea. I hadn't thought about that quite yet, but now that you mention it the gears are turning. I don't know how I will, tbh I just throw things in and hope for the best. But yeah, I will confirm though that there will be some of that ship too.**

 _ **RFSB Giveaway**_ **: Alright. So yeah, I kinda gave up on RFSB. Especially being I'm working on other stories and my idea's for stories never ends, like,** _ **ever**_ **. I literally have 3 or 4 story ideas I have thought about that I really, really wanted to do. But because of my other works, I don't wanna throw on another piece of meat on my plate. So if any of you would like to adopt my story, take it off my shoulders, or any of my other story ideas, hit me up on pm.**

 **Story Notes: Alright, so this story contains a little bit of both couples. As this is stated, this is the first part to the holiday chapter, so it'll flow into the New Year's chapter that will be coming out next week, so yeah. Also, I apologize that this chapter's kinda quick and to the point. I too busy Monday/Tuesday to work on it at all. But a** **nywho, Enjoy!**

* * *

 _The day before Christmas Eve._

"Maaaan, I really wanted to go see my dad this Christmas!"

Yang sighed as she looked out the window in disappointment, head hung low as she watched the literal blizzard wipe the school grounds in its white fury. The blonde sighed again as she perched her chin atop her hands as her elbows planted itself on the bookshelf. "That's all I wanted this Christmas, to spend time with my family and girlfriend, watch Ruby rip open her presents in a flash like every year, with her girlfriend now too..."

"Hey. We're still here for you hun," Blake spoke, wrapping her arms around the sulking brute. "You forget that the team is still all here, your wish is already half-complete."

"Yeah, I know. But I wanted to do more, I wish I could do more. For you, for Ruby," Yang collapsed onto the shelf. "I can't even go out to get presents. The storm's so bad the airbuses are all canceled and the go-trains are packed."

"Yang, you already do a lot," Blake consoled, gently coursing her hands through her girlfriend's golden blonde mane as she massaged her scalp. "You are a great person, an even greater sister. And most of all, a wonderful girlfriend."

"But I'm not-"

"NO," Blake cut the blonde off bluntly, "You are. Don't doubt yourself for a moment. I am more than content to just stay with you this Christmas, so is Weiss and Ruby."

The raven haired girl lifted Yang up as she turned her around and wrapped her arms around her. "I love you Yang. You make me happy, there's no place I am more comfortable and safe than in your arms. So don't feel bad that you can't do much because of father winter. You've done all you can. Okay?"

Yang stood still for a moment, before returning the hug around her faunus girlfriend. "Okay.

Thank you Blake."

 _Meanwhile, with the Whiterose couple._

Ruby fanned the tea cloth at the beeping smoke alarm as Weiss pressed the trigger on the readied fire extinguisher, blowing out the small fire that was on the pan in the oven as it finally dissipated. The heiress opened the window a tad bit as the vacuum suction from the emanating storm outside sucked away the last of the smoke in the room, closing the window shortly afterward. Finally, the alarm turned off as Ruby panted, wiping her brow as she returned to the ovens. The redhead pulled out the now blackened pan and placed it on the counter of the island. The two looked at the damage done, and it was a brutal nightmare. The cookies looked more like charcoal briquettes than edible delicacies. Weiss smacked her forehead in shame as Ruby sighed.

"Okay, maybe I should show you, so that you can learn from the best," Ruby spoke. "We've already gone through two things of cookie dough."

Ruby looked over to the blackened stove that the cookies baked in. The whole oven part was black from the fire that burned inside of it. "-and one oven." The redhead concluded, making Weiss sigh.

"Just admit it Ruby," Weiss spoke, looking down in guilt. "I'm a disgrace to the bakery gods."

Ruby giggled as she patted the heiress' head. "Nonsense Weiss, you just haven't had enough experience," She spoke, "come, let the master demonstrate."

Ruby got the ingredients, once again, in a bowl as she started to beat it. After the contents were all stirred around, the redhead then sprayed the new pan. The cookie master started to roll the dough in small, yet perfectly portioned balls, placing them on the newly greased pan. "When I was young, I used to watch my mum make cookies all the time. The way she made them was amazing, the way they turned out was even better. When she left us I wanted to make cookies and baked goods just as awesome as her. My first attempt almost burned down the house, the second time made the place smell like a large scented candle burned throughout it. It took me forever before I finally honed the way of the oven. But even still, it didn't taste like my mom's cookies. I found out the hard way that it's impossible to replicate the taste. It's not a special ingredient or a certain specific way of doing something, but the sentiment behind the small good."

Ruby finished the first pan of cookies as she grabbed and sprayed another smaller pan for the rest of the dough. "My dad always told me that baking was like love. It's warm, makes you feel fuzzy, and most importantly, can mean a lot to the ones you love. It was why my mom's baking was always spectacular, because it felt like something special to me, to my family."

The new oven alerted the two that it was ready right as Ruby finished the last perfect ball. She washed her hands before placing the two cookie tray's in the oven and putting on a timer. The couple went to the lounge area, where the two laid down on a sofa together. "I finally perfected my skills when I was 11. I made birthday cakes and other goods for my family, baked cupcakes for bake sales, you name it, I've probably done it at least once."

Weiss let out a snort. "I've been baking for... 2 and a half hours now," Weiss stated, looking over at the clock. "This is the longest I've ever baked before, in all my life."

Ruby let out a giggle as she kissed the heiress' forehead. "Don't worry, these are only peppermint chocolate chip cookies. I've screwed up things way bigger and worser."

It was Weiss' turn to let out a chuckle as she kissed the redhead's nose. "Your English is very gooder." She quipped.

"Aw, thanks Weiss!"

The alabaster teen sighed as she shook her head. "Thank god you're cute, your innocence compensates for your lack of grammar."

The two basked in the silence of the couch with the heiress under the redhead's chin, awaiting the timer to go off. The moment of silence ended, though, when Ruby's interests spoke up. "So, what're you wishing for this Christmas? I never got to ask you these past few weeks."

Weiss sighed as she wriggled her way back up to Ruby's view. "Not much. I have all I've ever wanted; I have the girl I love right in front of me, my supplies are stocked, I am satisfied with my weaponry and am pretty content with the stuff I have."

The heiress looked up at the ceiling as she tried to think of anything she could possibly want. Suddenly, her eyes lit up with something she knew she needed, or at least wanted. "...Buuut.. now that I think of it. A nice, fancy two-person bed would be nice."

"A bed? What's wrong with our current mattress?" Ruby questioned, confused as to the whole motive behind it.

"Don't you remember? The springs are too hard, and some of them have even popped out of the bed. So now I wake up on one-half a rock, and the other a bed of nails."

"Well, why don't we just sleep in my bed then?" Ruby suggested.

"That thing scares the crap out of me! I'm afraid that deathtrap'll fall and kill us!"

"Oh come on Weiss, it's not that bad. I've slept on it for the past year-or-so, it hasn't killed me!"

"Well, you're 50 pounds soaking wet. You, plus my body weight will indefinitely make it collapse."

"Alright, why don't we just take my mattress off and switch it wi-"

Ruby was silenced by the forceful kiss planted on the redhead's moving lips, causing her to gasp before readjusting to the notion. Weiss broke it off soon after, cupping the girl's cheek. "Why don't we get something better than those rather small one-person beds, something we can _both_ appreciate." The heiress spoke, clearly hinting to the smaller redhead in her arms. Ruby didn't quite pick up what she was cluing at first, but it soon sunk into her mind as her eyes widened slightly and her cheeks reddened.

"W-well... I guess, we could look around the Vale mall once the storm's over.. for something we'll both like." The flustered girl answered, giving the heiress a quick kiss before pressing against each other's foreheads.

"So. What do you want for Christmas?" Weiss was next to ask the question, to which Ruby simply shrugged.

"I don't know. I'm kinda like you in that sense; I've got my girl, I don't really want any other gadgets or mods for my weapon, and the stuff I do want is still baking in the oven. Sooo. Yeah." The hooded teen replied.

"Well, what about a new hooded cape?" Weiss suggested.

"No, this hood is really sentimental to me," Ruby replied, rubbing the fabric of her cape as she spoke. "My other mom gave it to me, before she left us too. It's the only thing I have from her."

"Oh, I understand," The heiress spoke, her too rubbing the luxurious red silk. "Well, what about a new outfit?"

"I don't like clothes shopping. Every time I go I end up with half the store's stock in my shopping cart."

"Well, you've worn that for awhile now, haven't you? Why don't you change it up?"

"Maybe a later time." Ruby said in a quick tone. Weiss opened her mouth to speak, but the timer beat her to it as the redhead got up.

"Ooh, cookies are ready!"

* * *

"Just, pull your end!"

"I'm trying! It's too big!"

"You're not holding it right! Like this."

"Ooh, yeah, that feels better."

"Now, push it in!"

"I don't think it'll fit. The entrance's too small. It's too thick!"

"Oh just try, will ya?!"

"Why didn't you get something small-EERR!"

The tree finally fit through the doorway of their room, the bumblebee duo panting heavily as they bent over to regain their stamina.

"See Blake! *Pant* I told you, it would go in." Yang spoke in between ragged breaths as she wiped her forehead.

"It would've, *pant* been easier, if you got a smaller fucking tree!" The cat faunus scolded as she walked inside their room with Yang behind her.

"Now. Where should we put this bitch?" Yang asked.

"Wait, shouldn't we wait for your sister and Weiss?"

"Nah, they're busy making cookies for good ol' 'Saint Nick'," The blonde replied, using quotations for the person she was referring to. "Besides. We won't decorate it, we'll just stand it up so we _can_ decorate it later."

"Alright," Blake agreed. "Now, the trick question is: Where?"

The two looked at each other first, then around the room for any possible spot to put the slightly-too-large Christmas tree up. There was just one slight problem to their dorm room.

There was literally NO CORNER SPACE ANYWHERE.

"Well, what if we move these desks," Yang suggested, pointing to their desks and where they could move it; right in the other corner where Ruby and Weiss' sat. "It's not like we have homework for Christmas break."

"Then the room will be half-functional. Weiss still uses her desk for small tasks you know," Blake added. "Besides. Then it would just look stupid."

"Hmmm..." Yang thought aloud, before shrugging. "I don't know, what if we move the bookshelf then?"

"NO," The faunus instantly shot down. "I still read those books on that shelf, you know."

"I know, I know. But what if-"

"No." The raven haired girl cut-off before Yang could speak her mind as she crossed her arms and puffed out her cheeks.

Yang sighed, gesturing to the room. "I don't know then Blake! What're we supposed to do, put it in the kitchen area?!" She shouted, before a light bulb emitted in her mind as her facial complexion turned smug. The blonde walked into the kitchen area of their dorm room, finding the perfect corner for the tree instantly.

"Woah woah-woah, in the kitchen?" Blake quipped, to which Yang nodded instantly.

"Well, you gotta better idea? We can't move any of the furnishings in our room, and we can't put it in the bathroom. So this is perfect!" The blonde stated, gesturing to the corner of the room.

Blake stood in place, deep in thought as she pictured the tree in the corner. The thought process took all but a few minutes before she sighed. "I guess it's the best place for it." She finally answered, making Yang smile as she kissed her girlfriend on the cheek.

"Happy you like it."

"But wait, if it's going in here, then that means.." Blake's eyes widened in realization.

"One narrow doorway down, ONE MORE TO GO!"

 _Meanwhile, in the dormitory's dining hall_.

Ruby placed a hard candy in the shape of a circle on the cookie, symbolizing a pair of eyes as she finished the next gingerbread. "There, last one down!" She stated in a gleeful tone, placing the gingerbread man upright on the large board that displayed the large gingerbread mansion. It came topped with a tennis court in the back area, large 3D gingerbread trees, all decorated to the respective season, a hard white sugar piece representing a fountain, peanut brittle walkways all around the gingerbread house model and several gingerbread men and women, all with different looks and edible outfits. The mansion itself had large window pane looking pieces with small pictures of a fake house affixed to them, decorations all around the house. And atop the roof of the big mansion sat the jolly old gingerbread Santa Claus in a toy sleigh, along with his 9 gingerbread reindeer tied down to the sleigh with red licorice ropes. To tie in the atmosphere, the whole area of the house was sprinkled with icing sugar to represent snow on the ground.

The redhead sighed in happiness as she just finished the last decoration to the model. Smirking as she crossed her arms. "Perfect!" She said as she walked over to the sink to wash off, afterwards grabbing one of the cookies she had made earlier as she munched on it.

"Ruby, the snow's finally stopped and the airbuses are back up again, wanna go..." Weiss stopped mid-sentence as she walked into the kitchen area to find the big gingerbread model. "Holy dear father Oum, what is that?"

"That's my gingerbread mansion," Ruby spoke, gesturing the house with her arms as she smiled. "I just finished it."

"Oh my god, you did this all by yourself?!" Weiss exclaimed, to which the cookie crusader nodded.

"Yup! Took me about.. 2 and a half more hours?" Ruby answered, looking over to the clock to guestimate the amount of time it took.

"Jesus.. When you pulled out that gingerbread house set I thought it was gonna be something small," The heiress stated. "My god, I didn't expect a model house complete with snow, trees, and a fricken walkway!"  
"Well... I kinda spruced it up a tad bit," Ruby admitted, pulling up the small packaging that the house came in. "See, the package says it just came with the gingerbread and the recipe and all the decorations, buuut... I might've up'd the ante a bit."

"A bit?! It's a fucking mansion!"

"Okay, a little more than a bit.."

"It's got a tennis court that's covered in icing sugar snow!"

"Okay, okay! Maybe I made it come to life," Ruby finally said. "I wasn't satisfied with just a small house and a few gingerbread men, so I supersized the bitch!"

Weiss wrapped Ruby in a full-on side hug, kissing the cookie crafter's temple. "I'm not complaining, I really like it," She spoke, resting her chin on Ruby's collarbone. "You did a fantastic job Ruby, I'm so proud of you."

Ruby let out a small chuckle as she turned her head and kissed the heiress on her shoulder. "Thanks Weiss, I knew you'd like it."

The little huntress wrapped her arms around the Schnee. "So, what were you saying before you got sidetracked?" She asked.

"What was it... Oh! I was just saying the storm's over and the buses are operational. Do you wanna go into town and do some shopping?"

Ruby gave her girlfriend a smile as she nodded instantly. "Sure, I'd love to," She stated as they started walking out of the kitchen. Ruby suddenly stopped as she held up her finger. "Wait, one second."

The scythe wielder went back into the community kitchen, grabbing the strawberry syrup and a gingerbread rectangle before writing her name on it and placing it beside the house model. Satisfied with her work, she put the syrup back and finally walked out of the kitchen,

with her loving girlfriend right behind her.

* * *

 _Christmas Day. About 1:00 a.m._

Weiss let out a yawn as she flipped over. She searched for Ruby in her new bed, finding nothing but more blanketing. The heiress opened her eyes to find the little girl nowhere in the bed that she shared with her, sighing as she got up. ' _I need to pee anyways.._ ' She thought in her sleep-drunken stupor, walking over to the bathroom.

Weiss exited the washroom and walked into the kitchen. Suddenly she heard rustling in the corner, freezing up as she switched into ' _stealth ice queen_ ' mode before walking in some more. She saw a flash run before her to the little kitchen area, before hiding under the island of the counters.

"S..Santa," Weiss questioned, walking slowly to the side as she kept her guard up. "Is that you? You can come out."

The figure popped out from the other side of the island, armed with a large rifle. The heiress froze as she held up her hands. "I-I-I'm sorry! I know I should be asleep! Don't shoot!" she exclaimed, quivering at the weapon pointed at her.

"Wait, Weiss?" The figure spoke in a female tone, walking out of the shadows as Ruby appeared in the glow of the illuminating broken crescent moon. "Is that you?"

"Ruby? What're you trying to do, scare the crap out of me?!" Weiss shouted in anger.

Ruby shook her head as she used her semblance to quickly pull the heiress to the corner of the cupboards. "No. Not you, Santa Claus!" She spoke in a quiet manner.

"Beg your pardon?" Weiss questioned, still slightly mad, but moreso curious.

Ruby pulled out the magazine in her weapon as she cocked the hammer back as well, extracting the ammunition inside it as she held it into the light for Weiss. It wasn't a dust bullet in particular, but more a dart. It had a series of small Z's on it to hint at what it was. "These are tranquilizer darts used in taming grimm monsters, it's how they get them in the cages. Anyway, it's a small enough dosage to use on humans too, so I was gonna hit Santa with it and reveal his true physical self to the world of Remnant. Not trap him, per say, but just show the people that he is real."

"Wait, how did you even get those? And why would you want to expose Santa Claus?" Weiss asked.

"I made a deal with the guy at the dust shop, that's not important, though," Ruby explained briefly. "That fat fucker Saint Nick keeps stealing my cookies AND milk, each and every year. Does he pay for it? No! He's a thief to the bakers and the milk people all around Remnant! He thinks he can get away from his actions by leaving the young children gifts they've wanted, but not for me. He's going down tonight, or my Name isn't Ruby 'Santa Hunter' Rose!"

"But your name isn't-"

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!" Ruby exclaimed, cutting Weiss off as she loaded the bullet back in the magazine and the mag into Crescent Rose. "The point is that jolly old man's coming into the light tonight."

Weiss sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose, forming into a facepalm as she looked back over to the redhead. "Alright. Well, I wish you the best of luck. Um, Claus catching," The heiress spoke as she kissed her girlfriend. "Don't stay up past 3, you'll be too tired for tomorrow."

"Okay!" Ruby replied.

The heiress went back to bed as the younger girl sat in the corner of the kitchen area. As time burned by, though, she began to feel drowsy. Soon she wasn't just hunting for Saint Nick, but also fighting her own eyelids as she swayed back and forth. Not much else could be done as the little red girl slowly passed out on the kitchen floor, cradling her weapon like a stuffed animal as visions of weapon mods danced in her head.

Ruby awoke, a couple hours later, to the sound of boots thumping inside their apartment. She knew exactly who it was as she rose from her resting spot and aimed her gun at the large, red figure walking to their decorated Christmas tree. "Freeze!" She shouted, making the plump figure stop as he turned his head slightly.

"Ah, Ruby Rose," The man spoke in a deep, jolly voice. "I had a feeling your dorm room was going to be a tough one. Between you and your sister Yang's hidden camera's all around the room."

"Wait, Yang puts up cameras," Ruby questioned in her mind, before returning back to the subject at hand. "Nevermind! How do you know my sister? And me?"

"Ho ho ho," The man laughed as he walked into a spot from the dim light outside the window, showing a large, white beard and round stomach, along with a red and white costume with white fur stitched onto the ends of the fabric. "Don't you know me sweetie? I'm Santa Claus! The man who's been giving out gifts to children all around the world."

"That's impossible," Ruby stated, cocking her gun. "There are millions of kids alone in this region of Remnant, what, do you got a list or something?"

"Why, yes," Santa replied. "I check it twice, you know."

"but.. That's.. that's impossible! How could someone-"

"Ruby Rose, age 15 and-a-half, natural brunette, about 5'1"," Santa spoke, cutting off the redhead mid-point as he scruffed his beard. "You wanted.. good dating advice for your loved one, Weiss Schnee."

"H...How.."

"Haven't you heard? I'm Saint Nick!" The old man replied with a hardy chuckle.

The jolly old man slowly walked around the island, picking up one of the cookies as he took a bite out of it, taking a drink from the milk shortly after. "I don't forget a wish, dearie. It's my trademark."

"W-wrong!" Ruby exclaimed shortly after. "My wish was to expose you, to the whole world!"

"Do you really want to do that, though? After all, isn't there someone you'd rather want to be with right now?" The red saint spoke, gesturing to the door as it magically opened, revealing the beautiful heiress' sleeping face as the night light shone upon her.

Ruby stood in indecisiveness as her weapon lowered. Though not completely as she contemplated going to bed or stopping Santa.

"You look tired, Ruby. Go back to bed, and in the morning I will give you something you'll truly appreciate, especially Weiss."

Ruby finally lowered her gun as she sighed, looking back over to Santa. "Okay, I'll go to bed now."

"Good girl, I promise to make it worthwhile," Santa spoke, patting Ruby on the head. "After all, good girls always get good rewards."

With that, Ruby collapsed as Nick caught the little huntress before she fell. He carried her over to the new bed that rested Weiss, placing her under the blankets as the white haired girl soon realized the other person in the bed and latched on. Santa smiled, patting the girl once more on the head.

"Goodnight, kiddo.

See you next year."

 _Morning, 10:30 a.m._

Blake was the first to get up as she rolled over to her other side, now facing the blonde that had her arms wrapped around her. Soon she realized just what day it was, opening her eyes as she kissed the blonde in a lazy, yet passionate smooch.

"Yang. Wake up, it's Christmas." The raven spoke in a half slurred tone.

"Mhmm... Go back to bed Blake," Yang answered, not even opening her eyes as she readjusted. "Ruby and Weiss aren't even up yet."

as if summoned, Ruby awoke instantly, coming back to reality as she stared at the white goddess' complexion in the seeping rays of light from outside. She blinked a couple times, rising up from the bed as she looked over to her desk to see her gun neatly sitting atop it. She walked over to it to find a note:

 _Ruby,_

 _You and Weiss are happy together, so just do what you like or would like to do with her. That's my gift to you: Dating advice from the best romance protagonist ever._

 _S. Nick._

Ruby smiled as she looked over to Weiss, taking in her utmost beauty before throwing the note out and walking over to her, before shaking her. "Weiss, wake up, it's morning!" She spoke, Weiss in turn groaning.

"Five more minutes darling." Weiss replied, pulling the covers closer to her.

"But it's Christmas!" Ruby shot back, making the sleepy white haired girl sigh.

"Oh yeah, I forgot." She spoke, getting up as she stretched and yawned. Ruby smirked as she sat back down at the bedside and gave her girlfriend a kiss, grabbing her hand soon after as she pulled her out.

Yang and Blake got up shortly after, walking into the kitchen area to see their Christmas tree filled underneath with neatly wrapped presents. The bumblebee duo smiled as Blake told them to begin the unwrapping process. Ruby dived in the instant the order was issued, as Weiss calmly sat down on the floor and ripped open the presents Ruby kept giving to her with her name on it. Meanwhile, Yang went over to the coffee maker to find it freshly brewed and awaiting, with a little 'S.C.' initial on a card beside the machine. Yang smirked as she poured hers and Blake's cup and walked back over to the cat faunus. The duo sat down as Blake handed her a small, long box with her's and her girlfriend's name on it.

"A present? From you?" Yang studied, taking off the red ribbon as the box easily opened. Inside was four airbus tickets to Patch, the departure date a couple days before New Years. The blonde's eyes widened as she looked over to her girlfriend in shock, to whom was blushing slightly.

"I called your dad a couple days ago and told him about the dilemma with the snow squalls and that you were really sad you couldn't go see him on Christmas. He told me not to worry and sent me the most recent tickets for the airbus ride to Patch."

"You.. went out of your way to get tickets to go back to my hometown?" Yang asked, tears forming in her eyes as the faunus nodded.

"I... I know what it feels like to be away from family because of secondary factors. And I couldn't bear to see you like that. So yeah, it was worth it to me."

Yang pulled Blake into a heartwarming bear hug, letting her tears soak the raven-haired girl's shoulder as said girl smiled and returned the favour.

"Merry Christmas honey, I love you."

 **Aight. So Just ONE MORE THING. I just wanted to say MERRY CHRISTMAS! I hope everyone has a happy and safe night. Go have fun, but come back alive, aight? I hope everyone spends time with friends and family this time of the year. And sincerely from me, happy holidays!**

 **PCE EVERYONE!**


	20. Special Chapter (New Years) (Part 2)

**Heyo! I'm just gonna explain some shit. So first of all, sorry this wasn't posted last year (AKA yesterday), I was really pushing to get it finished. But I had to work last night, and I couldn't work on it afterwards because I went to a small get together with my friends for New Years. So yeah, sorry if this isn't the best, I truly feel this wasn't even close to what I could've done, and I wanted to put a fuck ton more into it, but I just couldn't come up with the stuff during my break. So alas, this is as much as I could get. 100%, uncut work. so I hope you are somewhat satisfied by it, and without further ado**

 **Happy New Year**

* * *

 _December 30_ _th_ _, Near Patch._

The airship ride was filled with 'o's and 'ah's, and the few occasional 'wow's as team RWBY looked out the window to a snowy Patch. The ship finally arrived at the airport as the team all gathered their belongings. After getting off they hailed a cab as their final stretch of travel was nearly finished.

"So Yang, what's your dad like?" Blake asked as the taxi stopped at a stop sign.

"Oh, you're gonna love him, he's great!" Ruby said as she kicked the passenger side seat in a rhythmic pattern, until the cab driver scolded the little huntress and she sat still.

"He's a very loving father, who pushes us to be the best. He can be a bit.. hardheaded at times, but he loves us, and soon, you guys too." Yang described.

"He's great at taijutsu and other action-packed fighting you only see on tv! Oh, he's awesome," Ruby praised excitedly. "Though I think he'd be even cooler with a sword or something..."

"He taught me how to fight, he's the dire reason I became a huntress. I was like a headless chicken, flailing about before he trained me."

"Though I see no difference now," Blake teased, earning a low growl along with a retaliating shove from the blonde. "I'm only teasing hun, you're electrifying in battle. I can't wait to meet him."

"As am I," Weiss spoke as she wrapped her arms around Ruby. "He intrigues me on how he managed to raise two amazing children, one which I love, so perfectly."

"Aw, stop it princess," Yang joked, waving her hand out. "Sorry, but I already have my eyes on a certain kitty kat."

"Correction: how he managed to raise one amazing girl, and one annoying brute." Weiss reinstated, making Yang feign a hurt reaction.

The cab finally arrived at a long, winter-dirt driveway leading up to a snow-covered log cabin-like house. It seemed to be the only one on the block, as the drive up seemed rather sketchy as it was a dirt road. Yang paid the cab fare as the rest of the team unloaded their luggage. Soon the taxi drove off down the dirt road as the team all stood at the end of the long driveway.

"Here it is! The Xiao Long/Rose residency, the place we grew up in." Yang introduced as she began walking up the driveway. Blake followed shortly after, with Ruby and Weiss to catch up.

"Jeez, there aren't a lot of people in your, uhm.."

"Neighbourhood?" Ruby finished.

"I was gonna say viscinity, but yeah."

"That's not true, we have one neighbour who lives not too far. He was a vet in the great war!" The redhead replied.

"Ruby, the great war happened a long time ago." Weiss told the younger.

"Yeah, I know. He's REAALLY old, like 'throw on the chain mail and rideth to victorith' old. He's got some really nice antique weapons he kept in great condition from when he was in the war."

Weiss shook her head as she sighed. "Jeez, this probably explains some stuff.." She stated in a hushed tone.

"What was that?"

"O-oh, nothing. Come on, let's go inside." Weiss replied, taking the girl's hand as they finally neared the door.

Yang opened the door as the bumblebee duo walked inside first, with Whiterose in the back as everyone took off their footwear. "DAAAD, WE'RE HOME~!" Yang shouted as she walked a little bit further inside.

Silence hung throughout the house, until small gobling noises could be heard from the side hallway. The noise grew louder, and suddenly more panicked as the thing started to run down the hallway. Suddenly, a large turkey scrambled into the kitchen in a frantic hurry as a blond man soon came around the same corner. "GET BACK HERE YOU FUCKING BIRD!" The man bellowed as he dove for the turkey. The animal dodged the attack as it booked it to the exit. It stumbled across Yang's boot as she kicked the bird, sending it flying across the kitchen and into the fridge with a large _thud_. Finally Tai finished it with a hook punch to the head, knocking the bird out.

The man panted as he got up, stretching his back out. "Hey dad!" Yang spoke, diverting the man's attention to the cause of the sound.

"OH! Yang, Ruby," Tai replied, turning around as the two girls came up to the man and gave him a hug. "It's so good to see you girls!"

"It's good to see you too, dad," Ruby spoke, turning to the unconscious bird on the ground. "Aw, maaan. I thought we were gonna go bird hunting.."

"Sorry sweetheart. I cheated this year." Tai answered, ruffling the girl's hair.

Blake cleared her throat, as the two girls in the background walked forward. Yang and Ruby both remembered their companions, as both walked over to introduce one-another.

"Blake, Weiss. This is our father, Taiyang." Yang introduced as Blake held up her hand first.

"It's a pleasure to meet you sir." Blake said, shaking hands with the shaggy blond.

"Yes, it's so great to finally meet you mr... uhm, Xiao Long?" Weiss said next as she shook the man's hand afterwards, though not completely sure which last name he really was.

"That's correct," Taiyang answered, giving the heiress a comforting smile as her uneasiness settled down. "You two must be on my daughters' team."

"Yeah, but they're not just partners," Ruby spoke, wrapping her arms around the white clad as Yang intertwined her hand with the black clad's. "Dad, this is also my girlfriend, Weiss Schnee."

"And this is mine, Blake Belladonna."

Blake felt her throat hitch as she awaited the worst possible response, her outside foot was turned slightly as she expected the man to command them to leave. She could see Weiss was also awaiting a negative response as well, as her outside foot looked to be ready to turn on a dime. The reaction they got was not what they had expected as the man hugged the two couples in bliss. "Oh, that's fantastic! You two have finally found someone you love," Taiyang stated, giving them a content smirk as he clasped his hands together. "I'm so happy for you two. I was kinda waiting for something like this to happen."

"W...wait, you're not, upset? Angry?" Blake asked, slightly dumbstruck by the reaction she got.

"No, why would I be," The blond man asked, mimicking the raven haired girl's confused look. "I love my daughters, so I accept them for who they are. Relationship status doesn't mean much in my eyes. If they love someone, they know I will always be supportive. It's just the way it should be."

"Wow," Weiss spoke, grasping at her heart as if to suppress the harsh rhythmic beating inside it. "That honestly takes a HUGE weight off of me."

Tai smiled as he placed his hands on both girlfriends' shoulder's. "It's so great to finally meet you two. Please come in, make yourself at home."

The man turned his head over to the knocked out bird. "I gotta do something with that first. Ruby, Yang, go show them to your bedrooms."

"Okay dad!" Ruby said, grabbing Weiss' luggage as she motioned her to follow. Yang did the same for her girlfriend, as she led her up the stairs to her bedroom.

Ruby entered her bedroom, with Weiss right behind her as the former placed their luggage on her bed. Weiss looked around the room, finding it was a cozy little bedroom with two beds at each side of the room to symbolize the sisters' halves of the room. Ruby plopped on her bed as she let out a content sigh. "Ah, it's good to be home!" Ruby said as she let out another sigh.

"This place feels really... Homey. I like it." Weiss stated as she sat on the little girl's bedside, still taking in the details of the room.

"I'm glad you like it!" Ruby returned as she pulled her girlfriend down onto the bed, wrapping her arms around her. Weiss smirked, flipping over to face the redhead as she gave her a quick kiss.

Yang walked into the room shortly after, explaining the pictures and the memories like a tour guide. "And here is mine and Ruby's shared bedroom," The blonde spoke, gesturing around the room. "This is where we'll sleep."

"Not just us," Blake stated, pointing to the Whiterose couple in Ruby's bed. "No shenanigans missy."

"Oh, don't worry kitty kat. It'll be just like back in Beacon," Yang responded. "Only there are a few other people on this floor, not twenty other teams."

The blonde brought the luggage she carried on the floor at her bedside as she walked over to the nearest window and gazed outside. "Man, it's good to be home." Yang spoke as she exhaled a blissful breath.

Blake wrapped her arms around the blonde woman in a firm hold, letting out a quiet purr that made Yang smile. "I'm guessing you like it here too."

"Mhmm.." Blake responded in a quiet tone as her purring picked up.

Yang knew from experience that Blake didn't purr often, even when she was in the dormroom, unless she was truly relaxed and happy, so to feel her blissful vibrations said enough to the blonde. She grasped onto the faunus' arms as she happily let out a breath of air, letting the moment continue.

"So what do you think, princess?" Yang asked the heiress, turning her gaze over to the other couple at Ruby's bed.

"I love this place, it's got a nice vibe to it." Weiss replied easily.

"What, you're not gonna say something about it not having 4 levels, or a training yard and patio area on the second floor?" Yang shot back, making the heiress snort.

"Please Yang. Even though I've been and lived in homes 10 times the size of this one, doesn't mean I don't have good tastes in simple, family style homes," Weiss rebuked. "Besides. Don't be ignorant just because of secondhand information. I will inform you I lived in a regular-style house similar to this almost all my life before my parents divorced. And just because I lived in a mansion, does not mean it was a home to me. Just somewhere I lived in for my early teenage life."

"Wait, you didn't live in a mansion until you were 13?" Ruby asked in a slightly confused manor.

"Yeah. My granddad lived in the mansion my father now owns a few years before their divorce. It was originally a retreat for when he wanted to go on vacation, but after the divorce the house was signed over to my mom, and so he and I moved in there."

Weiss walked around the room with her hands behind her back, looking around the room once more. "I love this place, because it reminds me of back when I was young. It reminds me of times like when I accidentally broke my knee practicing my glyphs, or when Winter and I awoke on holidays like New Years and knew we were going to my grandfather's. Those were the days I can never forget, and coming to this place has reminded me of those memories."

Yang walked over to the white haired girl, putting her hand on Weiss' shoulder as the girl turned her head over to the brawler. "It makes sense now. I apologize for my remark, just teasing ya." Yang stated, giving the girl a comforting smirk.

"I know Yang, I don't hold anything against you for not knowing my past. At this point, I'm used to your puns and quips," Weiss responded as she too returned a positive complextion. "Now come on, let's not have the moment ruined, let's go see if your dad needs help."

The brute nodded her head in agreement. "Aight, c'mon Blake!" She called to her girlfriend, who complied as she walked over to Yang and intertwined their hands together. The duo walked out the door, with the Whiterose couple following behind them.

 **Insert Line Break***

 _New Year's Eve. Dec, 31._

Team RWBY, accompanied by their chauffeur, Taiyang, and their underpaid, drunken security guard, Qrow, gathered around the town square as the ball slowly dropped atop the tower. A digital timer counted down the last final minutes of the year for all to see. Ruby and Yang reunited with some old friends from their childhoods, conversating about their experience at Beacon and the adventures they had. Their girlfriends accompanied them shortly after, as the siblings finally came out to their friends.

"Wait, you're girlfriend is the heiress to the SDC?!" One of Ruby's friends exclaimed, flabberghasted by the rare possibility.

"Yeah. It's kinda hard to explain, but we are a thing..." Ruby answered, clasping the heiress' hand with both of hers.

"So, when did you decide you liked girls all of a sudden?" One of the brute's male friends asked.

"When I decided that guys were disgusting, useless pigs," Yang replied bluntly, making the man flinch as his complexion turned slightly frustrated. Yang simply laughed as she waved her free hand to him. "I'm only teasing, they make good punching bags..."

Taiyang and Qrow watched in the distance as the two girls talked to their old friends. "Hmmm... I gotta bad feeling about Yang's associates," Qrow spoke, crossing his arms. "The one guy's face makes me think she just struck a nerve."

"Don't worry about it Qrow," Tai returned, patting the man's shoulder. "My daughter's can handle it. They fought airships, beowolves, a deathstalker, a nevemore, a bunch of ursa's, a fuckload of White Fang members, Roman Torchwick, mercenary's, twins, a criminal, AND a deadly hunter's food fight."

Qrow opened his mouth as to try and say something, but nothing came to words as he shook his head and watched the two talk. "...I guess you gotta point.." He finally said.

The sibling's all waved goodbye as they walked over to the front of the ball. The last final 30 seconds displayed on the clock as the ball begun to slowly, ever so slowly, go down with every second gone from the timer.

"TEN, NINE, EIGHT!" The Whiterose couple counted down, Ruby gripping the heiress' hand as firmly as possible without hurting her.

"SEVEN, SIX, FIVE!" The Bumblebee duo counted as well, Yang's arm placed around the faunus' neck.

"FOUR, THREE, TWO!" Tai and Qrow both shouted, the former holding a bottle of champaign as he awaited the final second to open it.

"One." Ruby and Yang said in sync, each sibling pulling in their girlfriend's closer as they turned their heads to face them, and kissed them as the ball finally dropped.

" **HAPPY NEW YEAR!** " The crowd shouted as cheering, whistling and howling could be heard all over, Tai opened the bottle, shooting the golden liquid all over. Though it all went quiet to the siblings as they let the moment last, foreven engraved into their memory. Like everything, it had to come to an end as both sister's parted from their lover.

"Happy New Year."


	21. Under The Weather

**Heyo! Welcome back to another chapter. I got nothing really to say, so enjoy.**

* * *

 _A few days after returning to Beacon._

The snow squall blew all around the heiress, encasing her like a snowglobe. Though she wore only her regular huntress' attire, she felt not even the slightest chill in her as the alabaster teen pressed through the blizzard. As she continued to press through the storm, Weiss started to hear voices, whispers, noises of her past around her.

" _Winter, where are you going?"_ A young girl's voice asked. One which Weiss knew well was hers from her childhood.

" _Atlas.. has offered me a placement in their specialist services. They said it was an opportunity befitting the best huntress in their academy,"_ A younger, yet matured voice stated. Winter in her teen years. _"I have to go sister. So please, be a good little girl to mom and dad. Okay?"_

" _Okay."_

The storm blasted in Weiss' face, making her flinch as she turned her head away from the wind and shielded herself with her hand. The cold front halted a few seconds later, allowing the heiress to continue moving forward.

" _Mommy, what's wrong? Why is dad driving away?"_ Weiss' younger self asked, clearly confused as to what was going on.

" _Not now, go away."_ Weiss' mother replied as the sound of a glass of something poured into her mouth, the white haired girl remembered the bottle of whiskey sitting on the desk as the conversation continued. Suddenly, the glass the woman held shattered as Weiss remembered her gripping it till it cracked and broke.

" _Mommy! Your hand's-"_

" _ **i SAID LEAVE, NOW!** " _Snow shouted, making the younger's footstep's stop as a moment of silence permeated in the dialogue. Shortly after, the soft footsteps slowly made it's way to the door of the room Weiss knew too well. The door opened with a creak as the footsteps walked out of said doorway, closing slowly behind her.

" _Damn bitch of a daughter, she's the cause of this divorce.."_ The woman stated as she started mumbling other cruel words, mostly about abortion's and other hurtful statements. Finally, the door shut softly.

" _I... I love you, mommy."_ The young Weiss said, as a pain in the present Weiss' heart started to burn. Suddenly, another cold blast of air hit the heiress. This time, knocking her backwards as she fell. Instead of stopping when she hit the ground though, as if there was a magic rabbit hole underneath, she fell through the snowbed. The once stable ground vanished as she seemed to fall into a hole. A hole of underlying darkness. It was quiet as the heiress continued to fall, or so she assumed.

"A-am... I a fool, for trying to love someone that couldn't love...?" Weiss asked, in the depths of darkness. A few single tears escaped her eye canal, floating off her snow-white complexion as it seemed to glisten in the air.

Finally, the white teen slowly landed on a sheet of white, though not entirely sure what it was. The girl laid on the white translucent blanket, keeping her eyes shut from whatever rude awakening appeared before her.

"I'm not going to open my eyes. You can torment me about my shitty childhood all you wa-"

" _Weiss. This is your step-mother, Aria,"_ William spoke, piquing the girl's curiosity as she opened her eyes. Those eyes widened when she saw how young her father looked. Even moreso, how cheerfully bright Aria was. _"We're getting married in a few months."_

The young Weiss let out a quiet huff as she looked aside the two adults, her cheeks puffed out and an unamused look painted her face. William easily saw this and cleared his throat, crouching down as he placed his hands on the heiress' shoulder. _"Aria, this is my youngest daughter, Weiss Schnee."_

" _Ahh! It's so nice to meet you! Oh, William has told me soo much about you!"_ Aria replied, wrapping the younger Schnee in a hug. The young Weiss flared out as she tried to break free of her grasp, the older noticing easily as she let go of the heiress.

" _Let go of me! How dare you!"_ The young heiress scolded.

" _Oh, I'm sorry sweetheart. I forgot to warn you, I'm a hugger!"_ The woman replied with an earnest smile, making Weiss snort.

" _Do you know who I am? My family background?! I am the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company!"_ Weiss blared, though having no effect on the older woman in front of her.

" _Ooohh! you're gonna be the cutest little CEO ever!"_ Aria returned, pinching the younger girl's cheeks gently. William laughed as the two argued, turning his head to see another familiar face.

" _Ah, Weiss, I also forgot to mention. This is Mai-Lee, your stepsister,_ " Will announced as the girl walked over to the crowd. _"Mai, this is Weiss Schnee, my daughter."_

The girl looked a lot smaller and younger compared to the more matured heiress. Her hair was shorter as well, though it didn't stop the raging flow of naturally curly hair from persisting. The two shook hands as the youngest gave the older a smile.

Present Weiss watched the scene before her, remembering the event like it was yesterday. "That was... after the custody battle. It was the day after the court appearance. Dad looked so happy to show me my new step-family.,"

The heiress looked down. Shame, guilt, sadness, engulfed her. "But I was just trying to push everyone back."

"You had no choice," A female voice spoke behind the white haired teen. Weiss turned around to find her mother standing there. "You still knew you were mine."

"That's not true, and it never will be!" Weiss shouted, throwing her hands in the air in denial.

"Admit it Weiss, you are my child. Where else would you get your coldhearted stubborness?" Snow questioned, making the alabaster girl tilt her head down.

"True, I got your flaws, but not your heart!" The heiress shot back as Snow feigned a hurt complexion.

"True, you couldn't have _all_ my traits. But that won't stop you from pushing away everyone and everything you love and want to love. You are a hopeless wreck Weiss."

The younger woman stood still for a moment, letting the silence permeate through the room. Finally, Weiss started to laugh, louder and louder until she locked eyes with her mother. "You are wrong. You are just an evil witch in my mind now. You forget who I do have."

Appearing out of thin air, Ruby walked over to Weiss, wrapping her in a warm embrace as she made eye contact with the devil. "You forget that I have made friends, and one awesome partner and girlfriend.

 _I'm not perfect, but I try to be better, each and every day._ "

Snow snorted as she held up her hand. "Perhaps now, but you will fuck up.

You always do."

After saying her last statement, Snow's hand glowed a dark aura that Weiss easily caught on, it flowed into the ground, binding both the heiress and Ruby. A dark ball of energy shot out of the older woman's hand, hurdling towards the heiress quickly as Weiss watched it soon come into contact with her.

* * *

Weiss gasped in shock as she jumped slightly, laying still in her bed as only her staggered breathing pattern and shaky hands were the only motions she couldn't control. She soon came to consciousness of her surroundings as she realized she was staring at the dangling bed above her. ' _I-I'm.. still in bed.._ ' The shaky teen thought, turning her gaze to the left as she saw Yang's body in the other bed across from her, with her faunus girlfriend's arm wrapped around her stomach. Weiss turned her head to the other side, noticing the close-up face of the sleeping redhead beside her. Said redhead had a small line of drool coming out her mouth and her nose seemed stuffed as light snoring could be heard, even though she was on her side. The heiress sighed, wiping off the string of saliva from the girl's mouth as she got out of bed.

 _'*sigh* It was just a nightmare._ '

Weiss put on her slippers as she made her way into the kitchen and to the fridge. She grabbed the milk and a cup shortly after as she poured herself a glass, taking a drink out of it instantly as she put the jug back. Weiss sat at the island as she looked out the window, staring at the beautiful broken crescent moon illuminated in the window.

' _That dream.. that nightmare. Was it trying to tell me something?_ ' Weiss pondered as she took another swig of her milk, uncertain whether her dream housed a purpose or not. ' _Perhaps I'm not sleeping enough? No, that can't be right, I've made sure I went to bed at the same time as Ruby each night. Maybe I need to be closer to my peers, I mean friends. Well, I haven't been very close to them before, why would this neglectment haunt me now..?_ '

Weiss sighed as she sported a frustrated look. ' _GOD DAMMIT! Calm down Schnee. You're putting too much thought into this. You need to relax and collect yourself._ '

The heiress' hard concentration was halted when the soft creaky door connecting the kitchen to the bedroom opened, as Yang sighed and walked over to the fridge in her drowsy, yet conscious stupor. She quickly noticed the other body in the room as her mind awoken slightly more. "Weiss, is that you?"

"Yang? What're you doing up?" Weiss asked, taking a drink of her milk afterwards. Yang sighed as she walked over to the island.

"I couldn't sleep. Well, couldn't fall back to sleep. I've been sitting in bed with my eyes closed for a good 10 minutes now. I only know this because I've been checking the clock every minute or so," Yang replied, giving the heiress a curious look. "Why're you up?"

"I had a bad night terror." Weiss answered simply as Yang walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out the milk.

"Yeah, I thought I heard you wake up in a panic. Was contemplating continuing the fight for sleep or confronting you."

"You chose the latter, I see."

"Well, I wasn't getting any more tired laying in the bed with Blake wrapped around my side."

Weiss chuckled, as did Yang, as the blonde grabbed a cup and poured herself a glass of milk as well, offering to top up Weiss'. The heiress agreed as she held up the cup for Yang to refill. After both glasses were filled, she returned the milk to it's rightful place in the fridge before sitting next to Weiss.

"So, what was your dream about? If you don't mind me askin'." Yang spoke, Weiss letting out a sigh as she turned her head to the woman beside her.

"Can I ask you something personal first? Have you.. have you ever tried to love someone, someone that just wouldn't... love you back. Not affectionate love, but more, respective and family-like?" Weiss asked, making Yang rub her chin.

"...Well, kinda. There was a woman I liked in a family-like manor. She was a huntress and a mother apparently. But she never acted like a mother-figure. She put herself, and her 'clan', her priority before her child.

That person.. was _my_ mom."

Weiss' interest piqued as she looked at the blonde, her eyes fixated on her glass as her hands firmly grasped it. "Y-your mother, and Ruby's?" She asked, to which Yang shook her head.

"No. It's really complicated, and not even I have all the details. But, we're technically not pure sisters. Only half. I won't explain Ruby's mom's situation, but mine.. mine left me for her own duties. Dumped me with my dad, and Ruby's mom, and left. I never truly saw her, only pictures of her. But I still cared for her. I wanted to see her countless times, I wanted to be there for her so I could show her how much I've grown. But I've yet to find her. She never stays in one place for long, and never goes to the same place twice. She's cut off all traces of herself. To be honest, I've never even seen her face in person. But I'll know when I see her."

Weiss watched as Yang's grip loosened on the glass, and a sigh left her lips. The heiress did the one thing she felt obliged to do; give the woman before her a comforting hug. "I'm sorry to hear that Yang. I didn't mean to bring up any-"

The brute returned the hug in a firm grip as she rested her chin on the heiress' shoulder. "It's not your fault. I think I have a feeling on what your dream's about. I'm sorry your mom was put in jail by the way."

Weiss let go of the blonde as she sat back in her seat. "It's alright. She wasn't nice to me at all, but I still loved her. She was my mother after all. I'm just having trouble weighing in my mind whether I still truly do, or I'm just.. misguided. My dream, my nightmare, has made me contemplate it more thoroughly though."

"What was it about?"

Weiss sighed as she took a drink from her cup, placing it back down slowly. "It, was about my late childhood. I was surrounded in a blizzard. And these voices, they spoke of my past. Reminded me of when my sister left me, us, to go to Atlas' special forces unit. When my mom just started the divorce with my father, and the custody battle. When everything changed. I was blown back by the storm, and fell through the floor like it was made of wet tissue. I landed on a blanket or something, and then I saw my step-family, when I first met them actually. I watched my younger self push them away, like they were mere peasants. But they continued to try and befriend me."

The white haired teen looked up to Yang, who was listening with her full, undivided attention. "The problem, though, wasn't the fact that I was rude to them. It was that I felt I couldn't trust them. I was too blinded by my mother to realize I was just pushing everything, everyone, away. Even to the present, I've shunned and talked down to everyone. It wasn't until that dream that I realized that."

"Weiss, You haven't shunned everybody. Even those you have belittled, you've moved past it to befriend. Take Ruby for example-"

"Yang, Ruby's a different situation." Weiss responded, cutting Yang off mid-point.

"I meant before you two started dating, back at the first day of Beacon. You two couldn't get along at all, you guys reminded me of water and fire, and you guys had a couple downfalls after initiation. But gradually, you two became great partners, best friends, and even started dating one-another. If that's not a good enough example for you, then I don't know what is."

The blonde put a hand on the heiress' shoulder. "You aren't the best Weiss, but nobody's asking you to be perfect. We've all grown and learned from each other, and I think that through time, you'll learn not to be so.. cold. No offense."

Weiss nodded in agreement. "Alright, I think you're right.

Thanks Yang."

* * *

Weiss awoke to the pleasant sound of mucus-churning coughing, followed by the groan of her partner in her bed. The white teen opened her eyes as she noticed the other girl. Ruby was a mixture of pale-white with a harsh red burning on her cheeks, she looked awful and sounded quite similar as she let out another harsh cough.

"Ruby, are you okay," Weiss asked as she felt the redhead's forehead, retracting her hand almost immediately. "You're burning up. Are you feeling alright."

"Wha-wha..? Yeah, I'm awright, just gotta... get up and get reddy." Ruby answered in a rather half-assed manner, getting up slowly. She stood up with one fell push, only for her system to reject the notion as she collapsed on the floor.

Weiss jolted out of bed as soon as she saw the younger girl start to fall, catching her as she almost hit the ground. "Ruby! You've got a fever," She spoke, sitting the girl back on the bed. "You're sick, you're gonna have to miss school today."

"Whaaat... but I don't wunna miss school, I won't get to eat lunch with our frends, and I wun't be able to see yu!" Ruby responded in her stuffy tone, almost sounding on the verge of tears. Weiss saw the younger girl's disappointed look, cupping the girl's cheek as to try and alleviate her sadness.

"I'll stay home with you honey, I'll take care of you." Weiss replied, giving the girl a smirk.

"You.. you will do that, for me?" Ruby asked in a surprised tone.

"Of course, why wouldn't I help my sick little rose when she's not feeling well?"

Ruby emitted a bright smile, one that glowed with happiness and would almost fool Weiss that she was fine. The older girl placed the little redhead back in bed as she cupped her rosie cheek. "I'll go get a thermometer, you rest here."

"Okay." Ruby complied as the Schnee pulled the blankets onto her sick girlfriend, turning around and trotting over to the washroom to grab the thermometer.

Weiss returned to the scene as Yang and Blake were getting ready for school, noticing the white haired teen was still in her night gown as both sported a confused look at the object in her hands. "What's up Weiss, why isn't Ruby getting up at all?" Yang asked, pointing to her younger sibling.

"Ruby's sick, so I'm gonna stay home today to take care of her." The heiress responded, walking over to Ruby as she instructed her to put the thermometer in her mouth. The redhead complied as Weiss placed it atop her tongue and she closed her mouth.

"Wait, you're gonna miss a whole day of schoolwork to be with Rubes?" The brawler questioned as a look of surpise soon replaced her confusion.

"Of course I am, I'm not gonna go to school knowing my girlfriend and leader is sick. I'd be worried too much to focus."

"Wow, that's saying a lot, coming from you Weiss." Blake bluntly stated with a surprised look as well.

"Why is that so surprising? I'd miss any ceremony and any plans to take care of her, is that so hard to believe coming from me?"

"Hey, I'll hold ya to your word." Yang spoke, pointing her fingers at the alabaster girl as said girl rolled her eyes.

"Anyways. You guys go to school, gather up any assignments from our classes and bring it back to me at the end of the day. Can you do that for me?"

"Actually, me and Blakey were gonna go out after school. We are gonna go shopping for supplies and stuff and Blake wanted to get there as soon as possible before the sale ended."

"Fine, then leave the schoolwork in your locker Blake, I'll come get them after school ends."

Blake nodded as she finished tying her bow on, and the two headed out the door with a 'get well soon' from both.

Weiss took the thermometer out of the younger teen's mouth as it read about 106. She was shocked, though didn't express it at all as to try not to worry the sick girl in bed. The heiress took the object back to the washroom, washing it before putting it back in the medicine cabinet. She grabbed a cloth as she wet it down with cold water, bringing it to the redhead as she placed it on the girl's forehead. "There, now let me see if there's any medicine in the cabinets."

After finding and giving some meds to Ruby, Weiss tucked the little redhead in bed as she stroked her hair. Ruby smiled as she nestled to the feeling of the heiress' hand coursing her head. "Thanks Weiss." Ruby praised as she closed her eyes.

The white haired girl smiled, coursing her hand down to the younger's cheek as she cupped it. "You're welcome, sweetheart." The older whispered as she bent down to kiss Ruby on the forehead quietly.

Soon, the sick teen started to fall asleep as soft little snores engulfed the heiress' ears. A beaming smile continued to stretch across her lips as she gave the girl one last kiss to the temple as she got up. Determination flowed inside of her as she nodded.

She was going to make Ruby feel better, no matter what.


	22. Special Chapter (Valentines Day)

**Hey guys! Welcome to a very special chapter in this particular love story. It's Valentine's day! So I thought I'd make this a little extra special for ya. Little fun fact for ya before I get to the story notes; I actually got to the middle of writing this chapter before my computer wouldn't turn on. I started to panic, thinking I lost all my work and that I'd have to work twice as hard. So after school, like 3-4 days before V-day, I started to rewrite it on my family's computer before I realized the problem. Turns out, I must've bumped the battery or it unlodged, because I got it to work for me again. So that's awesome. But yeah, it was like a heart-stopper, I thought I would have to do this all over again. But anywho, that's enough storytime, back to the real stuff.**

 **Story Notes: Just wanna note that this is a few years into the future, they're on their last year in Beacon academy. So if it seems like the characters aren't EXACTLY their usual selves, it's cuz they've grown a bit and have changed from their experiences. I think that's all to account for, so without further ado, enjoy.**

* * *

Yang was laying down in her own bunk bed for once in her life. Usually, she'd just be in Blake's bed, even when the faunus wasn't around. But today Yang wanted to relax in her top bunk for once, reading one of her Playboy magazines as she basked in the glory of being the only girl in her dormroom for once. It was a rare oddity to be the only one in the room, usually Weiss and/or Ruby came here after classes, and the dormroom was Blake's favourite comfort zone. But the White rose couple went out after school, and Blake was supposedly picking up something from the cafeteria. So the brawler thought it'd be perfect to read the latest article of her favourite magazine.

' _Ha, my tits are bigger than this girl's, and hers aren't even real._ ' Yang thought, flipping the page as she continued to look through the catalogue.

The moment of silence quickly evaporated when the door opened to the dormroom, as the sound of footsteps accompanied it shortly after. Yang didn't even look as she continued to browse the articles in her readings. The door closed again as the new person placed something down on the desk.

"Hey Yang." Blake greeted as she walked over to the blonde at the top of her bunk.

"Hey kitty." Yang replied, lowering her hand down as the raven haired girl pressed her head to the former's hand. The blonde patted and massaged the girl's head and ears, earning a content noise from the girl down below.

"What's up hun?" Yang asked, jumping down from her bunk as she placed her magazine down.

"Seriously, you're reading a Playboy magazine?" Blake spoke with slight disgust in her tone, to which Yang simply shrugged.

"Hey, it's a new series. It's a different twist from the regular classics, it's got faunus chicks of all kinds this time," The blonde bluntly explained, earning a small hiss from her girlfriend. "What? you read that other romance novel, what's it... Ninja's of Love or something? You got your books, and I got mine."

"My 'books' don't contain women half naked, showing off their body like it's a trophy." Blake scolded, folding her arms to protest.

Yang sighed. Blake had found out easily about it early in their relationship. Well, rather. She instantly found out about it when she found the multiple different series' on the bookshelf one day. Yang had stored them in-between her mattresses, and one day, it seemed to just pop out enough to bug the blonde. It wasn't like she was 'hiding' it per say, but rather 'keeping it hidden from virgin lesbian sister's view'. Blake saw the massive array of her porn magazines as the blonde tried to fix the problem with her bed. After one tense argument, the brawler convinced her faunus girlfriend it was only 'on a lonely night' that she ever read it, and explained that she didn't see Blake any less attractive or appealling than when they first got together. The blonde agreed to give the magazines away to Yatsuhashi Daichi. She'd offer them to Fox, but then she'd feel like a dick. And seeing as Coco and Velvet were together, and the bunny was already doubtful about herself. The JNPR team was dating their partners, White rose was too immature for the content, and she'd rather bury team CRDL alive than give them her collection of porn mag's. Needless to say, the tall man was very grateful for the generous gift box that anonymously appeared on his doorstep that day.

"Blake, I told you this before, I love you for you, this is just a magazine to me," Yang spoke, scrunching her face in a frown as she crossed her arms. "Just because I look at pictures of sexy women, doesn't mean I'd date them ever. If this says anything, it's that I'm a hopeless, desperate lesbo."

Blake sighed, knowing she was playing the sympathy card, and in Yang's translative tongue, the 'don't make me sleep alone' card. The faunus raised her hand, the blonde steeling herself as she expected some form of punishment. But the raven haired girl couldn't hurt her love. After all, she was being honest with her. And as pornographic as the form of literature was, she was just perusing through it. It wasn't like she was seeing other women or anything. And if Blake was being completely honest, she'd been on a few innapropriate sites herself, even when she was with Yang.

The raven haired girl finally cupped the brawler's cheek, the latter relaxing her face as the former massaged her cheek. "I can't say I haven't been a little.. needy, myself sometimes. Besides, there's something a little more important today anyway."

"There is?" Yang asked, completely confused as she thought hard about what it was.

"Of course, you haven't forgotten, have you?" Blake asked, walking over to the desk that had the bag atop it as she pulled the object out of it's clear-white barrier. She turned back around to the curious blonde, a large, pink and cherry-red heart in her grasp as she gave the box to her girlfriend. "Happy Valentine's day, Yang."

"Valentines day! I was wondering why everyone was so busy today after classes," Yang exclaimed, earning a small frown from her girlfriend. "N-not that I didn't prepare for it, I just did it a little early."

Yang walked over to her dresser, opening her drawer as she pulled out a couple of things. She turned back around and gave Blake a simple card. "Happy Valentines day honey."

The faunus' frown softened as she grabbed the card, opening it to reveal 2 tickets to her favourite play. Blake's eyes widened slightly as she looked back up to the blonde, whom was giving her a comforting smirk. "I got those tickets as soon as I could get 'em. It surprisingly wrapped around today as well, soo there's more."

Yang pulled out a grey rectangular box that sported a rather luxurious logo on it. She opened it up to reveal a thin, golden necklace. The pendant resembled the shape of a cat's head, with 'Y+B' engraved in the middle. The cat faunus' eyes widened even more as she cupped her mouth, unable to make any noise other than the burning feeling in her heart. "I don't mind what you wear tonight, but I want you to at least wear this."

"My god Yang, it's... it's.." Blake tried to put her feelings to words. The blonde smiled as she knew she made the right move.

"It's a little thin, I know. But I've been saving up since we first started dating to buy you this," Yang explained, a small blush glowing on her cheeks. "I-I was waiting for Valentines day for so long, I must've forgotten when it'd finally happen. I hope this at least lets me sleep with you toni-mmhphh!"

The brawler's sincerest words were abruptly hushed when Blake pressed her lips with the blonde's, wrapping her in a firm hug as the cat faunus massaged and started undoing her clothes. Yang hated the thought of stopping, but she knew she wouldn't control herself if things persisted. So with bitter regret in her stomach, she grasped the black clad's shoulders, pulling herself away.

"I'd like to continue Blake, but we've got to get ready. The play's in an hour and a half and we still need to go eat dinner and get ready." Yang stated, cursing herself tenfold.

The faunus didn't release her hold on her, though. She placed the necklace on the bed as she continued to undress her girlfriend, though calmly and carefully. She also resumed the kiss, though a lot more passionately and well-mannered. Finally, she started undoing her clothes as well as they dropped to the ground next to Yang's.

"Who said I couldn't multitask a few things at once?"

The statement made Yang blush as she knew exactly what she was thinking,

and the cat-girl led the former into the washroom.

* * *

"Oooohhh, look at the whales!"

Ruby pointed to the large killer whale from the glass window, Weiss walking over to her girlfriend's fixation as she spotted the large animal splashing and swimming about. "Wow, what a beautiful sea creature."

"I know, right?!" Ruby exclaimed as she grabbed the heiress' shoulder. "Come on, let's see the other's."

"Okay, okay. Slow down." Weiss said in between laughs, calming the overly excited Ruby Rose as they continued through the aquatic tunnel.

The White rose couple was enjoying the newly opened amusement park that opened up just west of Vale. The duo read in the news a few years ago, even before dating, that there was an aquatic themed park that was under construction in downtown Vale. Ruby was more giddy than a squirrel on coffee, she literally dreamed about going there. Weiss wasn't as estatic about it as her partner, but she still wanted to go badly. A few years later, the two read on their facebook feed that the mayor was opening the park a week before Valentine's day. And so the heiress told Ruby they were gonna go for Valentine's. With a new bout of excitement, and the bonus of having their lover to accompany them in the exciting day, the duo set out for a wonderful date.

The two girls stopped outside the gigantic marine swimming pool, where dolphins and seals frolicked about on their stage. Ruby squealed in glee as she lowered her hand just over the pool. One of the performing dolphin's swam up and gently nestled it's face into the redhead's hand as Ruby let out another awestruck squeal.

"Oohh! I touched him!" Ruby exclaimed as she jumped back into Weiss' arms in zeal.

Weiss chuckled, ruffling the excited huntress's hair as she let out another cute noise. The heiress untangled herself from the girl's rapid fast grip as she got down on her knee's and extended her arm out, though she left a bit of space between her and the edge of the pool and left her hand a little short. One of the dolphin's noticed the gesture, swimming up as it not only touched the alabaster teen's hand, but also lept up onto the edge as it rested it's head on her lap. Weiss flinched slightly from the unexpected action, but shortly laughed as she pet the dolphin in her lap.

The aquatic animal motioned to the heiress that it wanted to go back, so Weiss gave it a small push as it swam back into the swimming pool and back to it's trainer. Weiss simply got back up, brushed herself off quickly, and returned back to the redhead's side as said redhead gasped in awe.

"That was amazing Weiss! How'd it know there was a gap there for him to jump up?!" Ruby asked in excitement.

"Dolphin's are the second smartest mammal in the world. With humans being the first, their skills are similar to ours." Weiss answered, entwining her fingers with the younger one's.

Ruby let out a giggle as she kissed the white haired teen, said girl sporting a soft blush as she too giggled. After a moment more of watching the dolphin's performance, the two moved on to the next attraction in the park with content smiles and sweet memories.

The White rose couple took a washroom break after a few more hours of festivities and shows. Ruby waited outside the bathrooms for her white haired girlfriend, looking around the different rides and games that they could play next. Though the duo hadn't eaten supper yet, and it'd been some time since the two last ate-

A loud, grimm-like growl came from the young redhead's stomach, with it's owner clutching the area of the sound. Of all the things to do next, Ruby knew exactly what was next on the itinerary.

Dinner.

Weiss finally walked out of the bathrooms, looking around for her partner as the younger appeared before her with a half-hearted smirk. The alabaster girl smirked back, but a look of concern soon painted over it. "Sorry hun. I don't like public washrooms all that well," Weiss spoke in a sympathetic tone. "Sorry I had to make you wait so long honey."

"It's okay Weiss, it gave me time to see what to do next on the list." Ruby spoke as she took the heiress' hand, and the couple started walking again.

"Oh? And what would you like to do next: Ferris wheel, rollercoaster, skee-ball?"

"Actually, if it's okay, could we get something to eat?" Ruby asked, looking to her girlfriend for permission.

"Of course hun," The heiress nodded instantly.

In a blink of an eye, the two were in the food court area. Dozens of different vendors and stands lined the block of the street as various different signs and menu designs lit the area around them. Weiss allowed Ruby to take her wherever she wanted to eat, the younger searching and searching until something caught her eye that she'd never tried before.

Cookie dough flavoured cotton candy.

The hooded teen wasn't much of a cotton candy extravagent, she preferred the rather circular sweets over the puffy stuff. But there was something about this one unique looking food item that made her like it more. And so with a glint in her eye, and intrigued taste buds, the huntress zoomed over to the stand with Weiss in-tow.

"Cotton candy? Are you sure you don't want something to eat first before you delve into sugary insulation-looking candy?" Weiss asked in concern.

"Of course I do, I just wanna try this before we get something else to eat and possibly forget this." Ruby spoke, going up to the man at the window.

The man took a plastic-looking stake and started rolling it in the cotton candy machine, aqcuiring a great quantity of golden brown-looking fluff. He finally finished as a footlong stick of the stuff was presented to the redhead outside. Weiss gasped in shock, and Ruby's mouth started to water as she took the stick, thanking the man as Weiss paid him for his service. The duo found a nice bench to sit at as the cookie crusader ripped a part off of the top, chewing softly as a pleasant noise elicited out of her and making the white clad girl laugh.

"That's a lot of fluff, you sure you can eat it all?" Weiss asked, a look of temptation in her eyes as she spoke to the former.

"Of course! We always got cotton candy back in Patch!" Ruby spoke, though noticing that the white haired teen was not paying much attention to her, her gaze was focused on the candy that was held in her hand. "Do you want some hun? There's plenty."

Weiss looked away from the fluffy treat as her gaze shifted down in embarrassment. "M...maybe.." She spoke as the redhead smiled.

"How about if I gave it like this?" Ruby stated, ripping a long piece off as she put one half in her mouth and neared the heiress' mouth with the other end. "Mmm?"

With cheek's the shade of her rose, The alabaster teen stood still, contemplating her choice wisely. With a slight nod, she finally moved her head closer to the piece of candy in the redhead's mouth. She pressed her lips against the hooded girl's, the latter eliciting a surprised moan as she soon pressed forward as well. Even more surprisingly, Weiss went the next step. She prodded her girlfriend's mouth with her tongue as the red clad teen gasped. Her eyes soon mellowed out as she allowed entry into her mouth. With one simple lick, she released the girl with a snail-trail of saliva linking their lips together. The heiress smirked, giving her one last kiss.

"Thank you."

After 'sharing' a couple more samples of the cotton treat, the redheaded teen finished it in no time, smirking as she pulled the Schnee back to her feet and toward the other food stands.

With the widest and dopiest of grins from both parties.

* * *

Yang watched in utter amazement as two actors, playing the roles of the protagonists, danced and frolicked about on stage. The brute wasn't usually the type to enjoy plays and other fancy work's like it, but she was totally enthralled by the performance from the beginning. And she could very much tell that her girlfriend was just the same.

The play was about two faunus sisters, one a fox and the other a wolf, that were adopted into a poor, lonely faunus man's house. The story takes place about the time after the war, and the small family's struggles with humanity's cruel ways. The fox sister decides to become a huntress, and bring to light equality in the faunus world through right. But her older wolf sister joins the White Fang rebellion. Using her deadly hunting skills and prowess, she pushes for equality through force, silencing those against her and fighting her way for respect. The sisters notice the large difference between each other and decide to go their own separate ways. The fox achieves her goals and graduates with the respect of her peers, meanwhile the wolf is promoted to commander and flushes out the nearest town as an entrance test to her role. The academy learns of the attack and sends the fox and her team, along with several other teams, to try and eradicate them out of the town. Countless fights are displayed, the background is filled with smoke and sounds of fighting. The two sisters reunite at the town square, where surpise and anger fill them as they clash. The fight ensues, they separate afterwards, and after the younger fox returns to the academy, she is informed that her home is about to be attacked by bandits.

Back to the present, the fox and her older wolf sister reunite at their house. Before another fight can happen, their foster father steps in-between them, scolding them about fighting in the house. He tells them to sit, before finally speaking the truth about them not being true blood siblings, but having the strong bond of one. And as Yang sat in her seat, she felt her soul and her emotions affixed to it, like she was experiencing it for herself. The blonde could hear her partner let out a chuckle as she cupped her cheek, making her turn to the woman.

"You're loving this, aren't you?" Blake said, wiping away a tear from the brawler's eye.

"I-it's.. so emotional.." Yang spoke as a small tear streaked it's way down her cheek. Blake let out another chuckle, pulling her girlfriend in as she stroked her head.

"I know, it's so inspiring." The faunus replied, kissing the brute's head as she continued to stroke her hair.

The father tells them about their childhood, a harsh one filled with hate and burden, and reminds them about how they stuck together, no matter what. Tears fill in the eyes of not only the actors, but the bumblebee duo as well. Sounds of shouting and hollering start to arise in the background as the old man looks out the window. He gets up, alerting the two sisters to rise as well as he walks closer to them. He tells them he loves them both, before kissing them on their forehead's and telling them he's proud of them both, regardless of their life choices. He tells them to escape out the backdoor, while he walks over to the front; about to confront the bandits head-on...

After the play, the duo walked outside, where the cold, crisp night air awaited them and danced around in their faces everytime they exhaled. Yang and Blake got on the former's bike, starting it up before driving off. Unlike the cat faunus' expectations to drive the usual few blocks straight and 1 left, the blonde smirked as she turned right on the first block, driving down onto the highway. The faunus sat confused against her girlfriend's back, but assumed she had something to pick up. That assumption didn't last long as she continued down the highway, passing an 'exiting Vale' sign as she slowed down and turned off onto a dirt road. More confusion and interest enveloped the passenger as she tapped the blonde's shoulder.

"You know where you're going, or we just cruising through a forest?!" Blake shouted.

"It's a surprise! Trust me you'll love it!" Yang replied, giving a wink before accelerating.

The blonde continued to drive down the windy road for a few more minutes before finally stopping at the end of the dirt road. She pulled up to the side, putting it in park before turning it off. Blake got off the bike first, walking over to the concrete barriers at the edge of the road as Yang soon accompanied her.

"Yang. What's this about?" Blake asked her blonde girlfriend. The brawler simply smiled.

"Well. When I planned this day, I wanted to make sure I was going all-out tonight. We've been dating for 3 years, 21 days and 7 hours, not that anyone's counting," Yang spoke, making the faunus chuckle. "It's something special. We've been through a lot, and we've come out of it alive and together. And everytime we did, I always thought there wasn't anyone else I'd want to spend my life with other than you."

Yang let out a small laugh, looking up at the sky in awe as the millions of stars lit the area around the two. "I could see myself with you for every goal: for our first child, for our first house, for our graduation and our official honourable hunting certificate. For everything. I wanted to bring you to the place we first started dating, but it would be too far a hike after our long night. So I at least wanted to bring you to a similar atmosphere for our next official milestone."

The blonde took a step back as she knelt to one knee, rummaging her pocket as she pulled out a similar grey box as the previous necklace, though this one was smaller and more squared. Blake's eyes widened in shock as she cupped her mouth, her heart soaring as Yang opened the box and revealed the spectacularly amazing symbolism that was the engagement ring.

"Blake... will you marry me?"

Without a second thought, the faunus nodded as excitedly as she was as tears started to streak down her face. Yang rose with the happiest of smiles as Blake lunged at the woman in total bliss, kissing her now-fiance as the latter slipped the ring on her finger.

"I do."


	23. Sick Day

**Hello! Welcome back to another chapter. Sorry this took me sooo fucking long to make. Last week was just terrible for me to write. I had to work 3 weeknights, plus it was my bro's birthday, so I celebrated it with my fam this weekend, and I had to work yesterday, add in the valentines day chapter I had to do before this and basically this took me a month to complete. But anyway, I thought I'd respond to the comments again, seeing as I've been kinda brushing it off for the past several chapters.**

 **OpTcPheonix: Yes, Ruby still got depression. I don't think you can just 'lose' depression, idk. As for a gay marriage... well, Idk again. I DO plan to marry the bumblebee duo before they propose though, so yeah, spoilers. Not saying when though. As for Yang x Blake, Ikr! Like seriously, I wish RT would just do it!**

 **Ashley: Nope, like I said, this story will continue. The special chapters are only one-shots for everyone's pleasures. Plus, it allows me to try different and interesting ideas and plot's without needing much of a connection to my canoned story. Also I like that this story's very theraputic to you, it makes me happy hearing people like you finding resolve in it.**

 **Oh, and I'm a male (guy, man, etc) btw too, thought I'd reply to the last comment back in the xmas chap.**

 **I hope you all enjoy, this one's a little short, but sweet. And as always, stay tuned.**

* * *

 _8:30 a.m._

After calling in sick for herself and her girlfriend, Weiss went back into the bedroom to check up on Ruby. The redhead was still sound asleep as her little snores could be heard from the oldest's bed. The alabaster teen walked up to the sleeping girl in her bed, taking off the damp cloth as she felt her forehead. ' _Her fever's starting to go down, the medicine must be working._ '

Weiss nodded as she went into the bathroom to rehydrate the cloth. She returned to the redhead's bedside, giving the girl a kiss on the forehead before placing the rag back on. The white haired girl saw her hamper full, taking the initiative as she picked it up and left the room.

After throwing her clothes in the wash, Weiss went back to her dormroom. She looked around the room for any chores to be done, though finding the next job easily as her stomach growled. ' _Breakfast. I forgot all about the most important meal of my day._ '

Going into the kitchen, she looked through the cupboards to find a box of oatmeal. She took out a couple strawberry packets for Ruby and 1 for herself as she placed the packs in 2 separate bowls. ' _Next; hot water._ '

Weiss took out an electric kettle and filled it up with some water, plugging it in and starting it up as she opened her porridge. A few minutes after, the water started to boil as Weiss turned it off and finally poured in the last ingredient, taking the now finished breakfast to the island counter as she took a bite out of it.

"Ah, fuck. Too hot," Weiss winced as she quickly swallowed the spoonful of oatmeal. "Let that sit a bit."

"Weiss.. Weiissss..." A groggy voice called out from the bedroom. Weiss scurried over the second she heard her name as she opened the door to the other room to find Ruby half awake in bed.

"Hey hun, what's wrong?" The heiress responded, sitting on the bedside as she laid her hand on Ruby's arm.

"Nothing... I just thought you left me.." Ruby replied, getting comfy as she looked up to the white haired girl.

"Now, why would I do that? I told you I would stay with you today to take care of you." Weiss stated.

"I know, I just thought I heard the door open and shut when I was dozing off. I thought you went to go get something."

"Oh, I went downstairs and threw my clothes in the wash. That's all."

Weiss cupped the little girl's cheek, giving her a comforting smirk as she caressed the soft skin. "Are you feeling well enough to eat? I have your favourite oatmeal waiting and the water's still warm." She asked, as the redhead contemplated food.

"Sure," Ruby replied, nodding her head before something clicked in her mind. "I mean, yes please."

Weiss smirked as she gave the girl a nod. "Okay, one second."

The alabaster girl got up as she went into the kitchen, coming back out with both hers and Ruby's food in her hands as she sat back down next to the huntress. Weiss passed the girl's bowl over to her, patting her on the head shortly after as the two cuddled up in the bed. "Be careful, it's a little warm."

The younger girl nodded as she blew on the steaming oatmeal, taking a bite shortly after as she smirked. "Thanks Weiss."

The two ate their food as they basked in each other's company. Weiss was a little skeptical about being so vulnerable to her girlfriend's cold virus, but brushed it off as she would risk it for her. Soon, their breakfast was finished as they sat back against the wall next to her bed, getting comfortable as the oldest felt fatigue and drowsiness take control of her. It didn't take long before the white haired girl fell asleep wrapped around Ruby's side, the latter doing the same as she closed her eyes and the two let themselves be brought into a calm and lovely dream land.

* * *

"Are you sure we shouldn't wake them? I mean, they do look sooo cuute, but I don't wanna leave without them knowing we dropped by?!"

A man shushed the hyperactive sounding girl. "Quiet Nora, you'll wake them up," Ren spoke in a hushed tone. "Just write a note then, I'll go put this in their kitchen."

Weiss groaned as she slowly awoke from her quick nap. Rubbing one eye as she looked over to the sound of the voices. She saw instantly that it was Nora and Ren, the latter holding a grocery bag and the former had a keycard around her neck. "Nora, Ren? What're you two doing?" Weiss asked in a groggy tone, letting out a yawn.

Ren face-palmed as he let out a sigh. "Dammit Nora, I told you to be quiet when we went in here." He scolded in a quiet tone.

"Good afternoon sleepyhead!" Nora replied in a normal cheerful voice. Ren shushed the girl once again as she jumped and clasped her hand on her face. "Oh, sorry! Good afternoon sleepy-"

"I'm already awake Nora, you don't need to whisper anymore." The white clad teen interjected.

"What about Ruby? You two looked soooo adorable together!" The strawberry blonde woman stated in a low tone.

"Ruby could sleep through a tornado engulfing a hailstorm, trust me."

As soon as the topic of the silver-eyed girl registered in the heiress' mind, a chilling anxious feeling permeated inside the girl. She had forgotten to tell the rest of team JNPR about their relationship. The fear was easily picked up by the pink eyed man, holding out his hand in a symbol of peace. "It's alright Weiss, Pyrrha and Jaune already told us about you two dating. You needn't fear about us spreading the rumour."

"Y-you have? I told myself I'd tell you guys next, but I didn't expect it to be like this." The alabaster girl stated, a blush creeping up on her as she looked away.

"Aahh, it's nothin'! If anything, it's cute! You two look perfect for each other," Nora replied in her excited tone, sitting down across from the awoken huntress. "Oh, how amazing it must be to be in love with another girl! It must be exotic, like a unicorn... or a SLOTH! Oh, how awesome!"

"Nora, that's a little overdramatic. Their kind of relationship is no different than our kind of relationship, or Pyrrha & Jaune's. The only diffrence is their preferred partner, that's all," Ren spoke, patting the girl on the head. "Plus, that's a little rude. Calling their love 'exotic' just because it's a gay relationship is kinda descriminating."

"O-oh, shit. I didn't mean it like that Weiss! I just thought it was as cool as unicorns and sloths, that's all-"

"It's okay Nora, I understood what you meant," Weiss said, stopping the girl from ranting. "So, does that mean you two are okay? I mean, with me.."  
"Of course Weiss, we don't see you any different for loving someone, even if it's with your teammate."

Weiss smirked, giving a nod shortly after. "Okay, thank you."

"So why are you guys in here? How'd you even get in?" Weiss asked, putting Ruby down on the pillow as she got out of bed.

"We heard that Ruby wasn't feeling well, presumably because of the cold atmosphere in Atlas and the sudden change in climate, and you stayed home for her-"

"Soo. Me and Ren-Ren decided to get some stuff for you guys. At first we gave it to Blake and Yang to bring to you, but they said they needed to spend the break finishing up assignments, so they gave us access into your dormroom instead." The hammer wielder spoke, cutting off Ren.

"You guys went out of your way just to get some supplies for Ruby?"

"Not just for Ruby, We got special tea's and foods that boost your immunity system for both of you. It should be enough for a couple of days." Ren responded, holding out the grocery bags.

Weiss smirked as she grabbed a hold of the bags in Ren's free grasp. "Thanks guys, I didn't know if I'd need to go out and leave Ruby here alone or not. I am in your debt." She spoke. Ren shook his head as he held his hand out again.

"No need to repay the favour, we were only doing a simple friendly task. For both yours and Ruby's sake," Ren explained. "But, if you ever wanna hang out, we could both go out on a double date. Nora and I would love to go out to dinner with you two sometime."

Nora nodded in agreement as she wrapped herself around the black haired man. "Yeah, it'd be sooo fun!" She added.

"Well, we'll see when our next date night is, and we could all go together." Weiss agreed, giving a nod.

With the supplies delivered, the duo left the White rose couple alone, listening to Nora squeal in glee as she mumbled something about carnivals and smashup derby's and other fun 'date night idea's'. Though Weiss was a little concerned about the possible ideas the ginger teen was spewing, she brushed it off as she had other things to focus on. She closed the door behind the two and walked into the kitchen area, placing the bags on the counter before taking them out. As she was halfway through, her scroll started to ring on the island beside her. The white haired teen picked up her scroll to find it was an unknown caller on the caller id, answering the call as she continued to unpack the groceries.

"Hello?" Weiss answered.

"Hey sister, it's Winter," The snow queen replied. "I had to get a new scroll, seeing as mine burned up, along with the rest of my belongings. So I sought to this as an opportunity to get to conversate with you."

"Oh, I see," Weiss replied. "So you had to buy a whole new phone full price?

Winter snorted. "No no, I got applecare," She spoke, Weiss letting out a noise of understanding after. "But that's enough about me, how's your week been?"

"Well, it's been okay, aside from regular homework and other assignments. I've been having weird dreams though, nightmares of my past for some reason. I understand it's probably because of the eventful weekend when I came up, but for some reason it's always targeted toward mom. I don't know why though."

"Hmm.. well, why don't you talk to our stepmom about it? If there's anyone who'd be a perfect insider for this problem, it'd be her."

"Well, I guess I could..." Weiss hesitated, making Winter sigh.

"There's something wrong, isn't there?" Winter responded.

"Well, I've just been so.. cold to her," Weiss spoke, a look of guilt on her. "I hadn't given her much of a chance, and I still don't today. Why would she wanna help me?"

"Because you are family to her."

Weiss' eyes widened slightly at the last statement. She knew all these years that Aria tried her best to gain her trust, gradually earning it in the process. But to hear someone tell her that she still loved her like family made her feel warm. With a smile on her face, she nodded.

"I guess I should talk to her, it'll give me a reason to conversate." The white haired teen replied.

"That's the spirit," Winter replied. "I'm sure she's dying to hear from you again, as will father."

"Well, could you put them on actually? Seeing as you're still at father's house."

"Weeelll, I would say yes, sister dearest, buut.."

A faint bout of giggles were heard from the other end of the line, Weiss' curiosity piqued, listening through the phone as someone landed on something soft. The Alabaster woman inhaled sharply as she sounded like she was being wrestled. "Wait.. no Kryst- Sssshhh.. Hold on..." Winter spoke as she sounded like she was trying to hold on to her scroll.

"What's going on Winter? It sounds like there's another person in the room." Weiss questioned.

"Well, I didn't want to rely on dad to shelter me, and I wanted to give him and Aria some alone-time. So long-story-short, I'm living with my girlfriend Krystal now." Winter replied.

"Have you told dad about it?" Weiss asked, her tone shifting to a more interrogative manner.

"Weeelll.. I told him I'd find a place to live, but I haven't quite explained to him whereabouts I am living..."

"You haven't told him you're dating someone, have you?"

"Well, he's a busy man! And after everything that's happened, I think I'll wait just a few more weeks, a month at the most until he's settled down."

"You know, the longer you wait, the easier it'll be to slip up such a big confession," Weiss scolded. "Don't be afraid, when you feel the time come, it'll be easier to swallow the pill."

"Well then, I never expected to be lectured by my lesbian sister about coming out before. You do have a point." Winter replied. Weiss smirked as she gave a nod.

"Well, I'll let you go sister. Krystal wants to go out tonight so I gotta get myself ready. It was nice talking to you," Winter concluded. "Oh, and give Ruby my greetings."

"I will."

"Bye."

* * *

 _About 3:00 p.m._

Weiss heard Ruby wake up in a series of harsh, mucus churning coughs. Sighing, she walked out the doorway to see the redhead panting for breath as she laid on the bed. The white haired girl sat down next to her as she rested her hand on the sick girl's. "How are you feeling hun?" She asked, firmly grasping her hand.

"I think I'm dying," Ruby spoke. "My throat's dry, I can't see straight, and my nose feels like an old, clogged pipe."

"The medicine must've worn off," Weiss stated. "I'll go get some more for you, just rest for now."

"Okay." Ruby complied, repositioning as she flipped her pillow over. Weiss pulled the blankets up over her sick girlfriend, walking over to the bathroom medicine cabinet afterwards. Thankfully, Ren had bought some more cold meds for Ruby, along with some other useful remedies and ailments for the girl. She took the cough syrup and the vaporub as well, coming back to the girl with a handful of drugs for her.

"Okay," Weiss spoke. "Take this first."

The heiress held out a blue liquid capsule to the redhead, along with a glass of water. As instructed, Ruby threw the pill in her mouth and washed it down with the water. She gave the glass back to her white haired girlfriend as she moved along.

"Next." Weiss instructed, holding out a spoonful of some liquid medicine. Ruby opened her mouth as Weiss carefully put the spoon in her mouth. The former made a distasteful groan, flinching as she closed her mouth and took the unpleasant medication.

"I know it tastes bad, but you'll be thanking me tenfold once it kicks in," Weiss stated, placing the cough syrup on the bookshelf as she picked up the cylinder of cream. "Now, take off your shirt so I can rub this on your chest.

"Okay." Ruby complied, though struggling to remove the shirt from the lack of strength within her. The heiress helped out as she pulled the night shirt off of her, exposing the full, naked front-half of her girlfriend. Though Ruby was slightly reddened by the exposure of her whole torso, Weiss was enjoying the sight of her creamy white skin to the fullest. The redhead covered her arms over her body, looking away in embarassment.

"A-are you gonna put that on my chest?" Ruby asked, snapping Weiss out of her dreamlike stupor as she nodded.

"Y-yeah, sorry, got a little carried away." The heiress replied, eliciting a chuckle from the sick redhead as said girl laid back down.

The alabaster girl opened the container as she dipped her fingers in the white cream, getting a decent amount on her fingers. She brought her white-covered finger over to the sick huntress, Ruby gasping sharply as Weiss smeared the cream on her. "You okay?" The former asked, earning a nod from the latter.

"Yeah, it's really cool, that's all." Ruby answered.

With a nod, the alabaster teen continued to rub the cream on her upper chest as the younger huntress panted lightly, covering just about everywhere below her clavicle. The heiress knew her girlfriend was enjoying the attention as the latter's eyes closed and a content hum slipped out of her mouth, the former stopping only to retrieve some more cream as she continued to lather the girl. Soon enough, the young leader fell asleep again as the sounds of blissful snoring elicited from her mouth. With a smile, Weiss put the cap back on the container as she tucked the girl in, kissing her forehead as she grabbed a pen and a sticky note and started to write on it. Once finished, she placed it on the bottom of Ruby's bunkbed, right in eye-view of the redhead so when she awoke she knew where she was.

' _Ruby,_

 _Gone out to get our assignments, I'll be back soon honey._

 _~Weiss'_


	24. A walk on the Right Path

**Hey guys. Just a quick heads up before you delve into this. My idea process has been shit for this chapter, I had no ideas whatsoever for how or what I wanted to do. To add salt to the wound, I also have other work to do and so it's been hard to come up with stuff. So I think I might need to go back, do a little brainstorming and construct some more ideas for this story. So yeah, this is a little short**

 **Story Notes: So just to note for Aria's conversation, she works as a psychologist (just to jog your memory) as well as a therapist, so she's in a bustling room when she answers, and she uses Bluetooth to talk on the go. Also, I'm not a therapist, I don't know how they'd react. So if Aria's answer to Weiss feels 'unprofessional' or what-not, like I stated I'm no pro, and she's also speaking as a motherly figure, not a therapist. Just keep that in mind.**

* * *

I walked down the stairs of the second floor and down the first shortly after, walking through the main hallway to the desk and out the door. I noticed pretty quickly that it was starting to rain. Not a harsh downpour, but just enough to dampen the ground. Thankfully, I put on Ruby's spring jacket before I left, flipping up the hood on it as I continued the trek to the lockers. As I walked down the wet stone pathway to beacon, I noticed a certain redhead walking towards the intersection that split the path to the arena hall. She seemed to notice me as well as she gave me her signature friendly wave.

"Hello Weiss. I almost didn't recognize you in that jacket," Pyrrha greeted as we both stopped at the intersection. "I didn't see you at all today, how are you doing?"

"I'm quite grand Pyrrha. Ruby's feeling under the weather today, so I had to take a day off to take care of her," I spoke. "I'm going down to the lockers to pick up any missed assignments we got today. Care to join me?"

"Sure, I was heading in that direction as well." The amazon replied as we both continued the walk down to beacon's schoolyard.

"So Ruby's sick today, I overheard a bit from Ren and Nora after lunch. How's she doing?" Pyrrha asked.

"She's okay. She's got a fever and a nasty cough, but I've been giving her medicine and making sure she gets some rest." I replied.

The tall huntress smirked. "That's good. Ruby's lucky to have such a caring girlfriend like you to aid her in her time of ill."

"I think it's partly my fault she got sick as well," I stated, noticing the doors to the lockers. "She must've caught the cold from the weather in Atlas. It's not a very warm climate up there, and I knew she should've packed a little more before we left."

Pyrrha's hand grabbed my shoulder, turning my gaze to her. "Don't beat yourself up over it. Some people just lack the immunity for certain climates and places," The tall redhead spoke. "The first week before going to beacon, I caught a cold. The climate in Mistral is slightly different than here, it's a lot warmer, and more tropical. So when I got here a week prior, I noticed how cold it was compared to my homeland."

The huntress let go of my shoulder as she looked forward again. "Ruby's from Patch, if I'm not mistaken. Their area's surrounded by ocean, so their climate must be mostly cool. That's probably why she didn't pack so much thick clothing, cause she knew that her outfits were mostly accustomed to Patch climate and she'd only need a small jacket or something."

We finally arrived at the doors to beacon, as the two of us turned to look at one another. "Well, This looks like where we part ways," Pyrrha stated. "I hope Ruby gets well soon."

"Thanks Pyrrha, have a lovely afternoon." I responded, waving goodbye as the tall mistralian turned around and continued down the path, and I walked inside the front entrance of Beacon academy.

Walking through the halls of Beacon in the afternoon was a lot different than during the day. Sure, there were still students lounging about in the hallways, nothing unordinary. But the atmosphere was a lot calmer, smoother. This felt merely like a leisurely stroll in comparison to the bustling traffic I was so used to during the mornings. I waltzed through the hallways, greeting familiar faces and gawking at the trophies and photos in the displays before finally arriving at Blake's locker. With the admin privileges given to me by Blake, I tapped my scroll to the lock pad as the screen showed an unlocked symbol and opened. Pocketing my phone, I opened the locker to find multiple pictures of Blake and Yang on her door, with a few miscellaneous items on the shelves as well as the books on the bottom. ' _Jesus, Blake's gotta whole shrine of Yang in her locker. I wonder what that big brute's got in hers.'_

I returned to the subject at hand as I grabbed the binders that held our missed schoolwork, taking one last glance at the decorated door before closing and locking it. With the assignments in-hand, I gave a nod as I turned back to the way I entered and began walking back.

' _What else do I have to do tonight, aside from homework?_ ' I thought as I walked back down the stone path to the dormitory. ' _Well, throw my clothes in the dryer, cook dinner for Ruby and I..._ '

Then I remembered another thing, said objective halting my progress to the dorms as I stared straight. ' _Oh yeah... I have to call Ari.. I mean, my stepmom.'_

I couldn't bring myself to though, as if some moral force was restraining me from doing so. I contemplated calling her now, or waiting until later. ' _Maybe I should call her later, It'd give me time to focus on my primary tasks.'_

 _'...but I could forget it if I do.'_

I grunted in frustration as I face palmed. "God dammit, why am I contemplating when I should call my own stepmom!" I blurted, digging in my sache as I retrieved my phone from it and went into the contacts. Clicking her number, I pressed the scroll to my ear as I continued walking. It rung once, twice, three times, and was about to ring a fourth time when the phone connected.

"Hello, Aria Schnee speaking." Aria spoke in a formal tone.

"Hey Aria, it's Weiss." I greeted her as the woman on the other line gasped in what sounded like glee.

"Oh Weiss! It's good to hear back from you!" Aria replied in content. "Just a moment hun."

I waited as I listened to the pink-haired woman's walking, the sound of heels clicking on the ground before a door creaked and closed shortly after. "Alright hunny, how're you doing?" She finally asked.

"I'm... okay, I guess. I've been keeping up with homework and what-not." I replied in a half-hearted tone.

"That sounded rather off, you don't sound so assuring," Aria spoke, making me flinch in realization. "What's troubling you sweetheart, did something happen?"

"W-well, I had an odd dream last night, a nightmare more like, about my childhood. It's made me realize my stuck-up behaviour and ignorant personality."

"What was it about hun? Can you explain it to me?" The woman asked.

"I-It, was about everything that changed me, it showed me the starting point of when everything in my life took a turn for the worst. When Winter left the house, when the divorce started. But it showed me something even worse,

me."

I stopped for a moment as I awaited something, anything. I didn't want to be pampered by words of enlightenment, I just wanted to understand what it meant, what all of this meant. I awaited something to come out of Aria, for her to tell me something. I knew she didn't have enough information though, so I spoke up.

"I treated you like shit. I won't lie to myself about it, I've been horrible to you. I've always pried myself away from people's hearts. But you came along, and showed me trust, love, respect. And all I did was reject you, and push you away."

My vision started to blur as a tiny, warm droplet of water slowly coursed down my cheek. "Weiss dear," Aria spoke up now, her voice changing from professional and cheery to a warming, motherly-like tone. "You were always special to me. From the moment I first met you those many years ago. I knew you were isolating yourself away from people, I always knew. So I made a vow for both your father, and for you that I'd try to break you out of that shell. It's not your fault that you didn't want to be hurt again, nobody likes getting hurt. And I saw what your mother did to you, I could see it clearly. You're special to me, because you were the best of everything in the Schnee name. You have your older sibling Winter's combat style, you have your mother's independence and problem solving skills, and you have your father's warm, yet firm heart, and his great looks. But that's only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to your true prowess."

I stood frozen in place, tears running down my face as I listened to her spew her words of kindness and honesty, unable to muster any cognitive reply for her. "Weiss, hun. Are you still there?" Aria spoke in her motherly tone.

"Y...yes." I replied, letting out a slow breath of relief.

"Good, I was afraid I lost you. I speak from the purest of my heart sweetie, and I know your still getting to know me better, but I will always love you as my daughter."

I smirked as I continued my trek. "Thank you, mom." I spoke, a second or two of silence prevailed before the woman gave a chuckle.

"You're welcome darling."

I told Aria about the nightmare I had, about the snow blowing in my face and the visions of my younger self. After telling her the full episode she made a noise of thought.

"Well. After all that's happened last weekend, I did expect you to have nightmares about it. I understand what you're going through though. You're indecisive about your birthmother, one side loves her, the other hates her. It's a common thing in teens to rebel against their parents, so I'll try and get to the key problem.

What is she to you?"

"W-what do you mean?" I asked.

"What does she mean in your eyes? What do you think of when you hear the name 'mom', or you hear her name presented?"

"I... think of all the hard work she's done, all the effort she put forth in order to grow the SDC. I've always looked up to her in her skills as a businesswoman, and as a CEO of a multinational company. But I also remember her cold heart, her strictness and her firm tone, and I remember that the company isn't all that it seems."

"I see," Aria spoke. "She's always been a figure of greatness, but a woman of darkness to you. And what do you see her now after all that happened?"

"I... don't know. Now that she's fallen, I feel like I've been looking up to a false prophet, like everything I saw in her was just a facade. And now, I don't know where to turn."

"Why don't you carve your own path?"

"Huh?" I asked in a confused tone.

"You've always looked up to your mother as a guide, and you just admitted that she wasn't all that you looked up to her for, so why not follow your own beliefs and dreams?" Aria questioned.

"My own dreams..."

The woman's last sentence rung throughout my mind, playing over and over again. I hardly noticed the dormitory as I stopped at the walkway connecting to it. "So I should just.. follow my dreams?"

"Well, follow what you believe in. Don't let other people walk in the way of your destiny, and don't let anyone but yourself tell you how to live your life. After all, it's yours to persue."

I looked up at the afternoon sky as I decyphered my own beliefs, my goals. It had been my goal to be a medical huntress in the field, but now, I wanted to be more. And I knew exactly who I wanted to accomplish it with.

"I think I understand," I told Aria, the latter giving a hum in bliss. "Thank you, for everything."

"No need to thank me hun, It's my job as a mother after all," The woman replied. "I got to go sweetie, Mai wanted to go skating with your father and I, I'll talk to you later."

"Okay," I said. "bye."

and with that, I hung up, putting my scroll in my pocket as I walked down the walkway to the dormitory and inside.

With one ulterior goal in mind.

* * *

I walked into the dormroom with the assignments in-hand as I placed them down onto my desk. "Hey hunny, I'm ba-"

I looked over to my bed to find the shorter girl missing from it, along with the red comforter that covered it. I searched around the room to find her not in sight and the bathroom door wide open. Confusion swept over me, as did my anxiety as I looked around. "Ruby?" I called out as I looked around for any clues of her whereabouts. I finally walked into the kitchen area, finding a small figure wrapped in my blanket from my bed, small coughs could be heard as it stirred something in a metal pot. I quietly crept up on the figure, wrapping my arms around it as soon as I reached it to find Ruby's half drowsy look with the blanket looming over her head.

"Oh, hey Weiss," Ruby greeted in her sick tone, leaning into my embrace. "I didn't hear you walk in."

"Hey sweetheart, how're you feeling?" I responded, cupping her forehead as it felt warm, but not hot.

"I'm okay, I took another cough drop before coming in here. I read your note, so I knew you wouldn't be back for a bit."

"Yeah, I'm sorry I took so long. I bumped into Pyrrha on my way to the school, and I was talking with my stepmom on the way back."

"Oh! And how is she?"

"She's good. She helped me figure out what I want to become, and what I should aim for."

"That's good to hear," Ruby spoke, stirring the pot of soup again. "And does this plan have anyone in particular to accompany them?"

I giggled, giving the redhead a kiss on the cheek. "I think it does. One short, dorky, scythe-wielding redhead."

Ruby smiled as she looked up to me. "I love yooou." She said, letting out a yawn on the last word.

"I love you too." I returned, giving her a long kiss. I felt the young redhead collapse in my arms as my eyes opened in fear.

"Ruby! What's wrong?" I asked her, holding her upright as best as I could.

"Oh, nothing. Just lost my breath," The younger replied. "I'm a little dizzy now, though."

I sighed as I scooped up the sick huntress bridal style. "Come on, let's take you back to bed." I spoke, walking through the door to the bedroom as I carried her back to bed. I placed her back down into my bed as I grabbed the laptop and put it down in her lap.

"Here, you put on whatever you want, I'll go get you some soup." I spoke.

I went back into the kitchen and fixed her some soup, coming back out with a tray as I placed it down on the rest of Ruby's lap and snuggling up beside her. We watched a few episodes of her favourite tv show while she ate, switching over to our assignments afterwards as I helped the young huntress with the work together. Before I knew it, The sun had set and it was rearing towards bedtime. I started the showers as Ruby and I shared one together, helping her get her back as she lathered my hair. After finishing, we both got ready for bed as I gave her some more medicine. We both got into bed as I watched the redhead's eyes slowly close as her melodic breathing pattern elicited out of her mouth. Before long, I too started getting drowsy as I too closed my eyes, and let sleep envelop me as well.


	25. Special Chapter (April Fools Day)

**Hey guys! Welcome back to another special chapter. I don't have much to say, I got a new laptop, so it's a lot better now. Also, I will say I've been brainstorming and constructing some ideas for the story. Some seem a little farfetched, but I think you'll all enjoy it. For now, though, I'm thinking of doing a special chapter canon to the story. I have it pretty much set up, so yeah.**

* * *

Every year, at around this time of the month (no, not _that_ time of the month), everything about survival instincts was tested: food was checked very carefully, everyone kept their surroundings checked for fear of the unknown, miscellaneous objects were cautiously avoided. This wasn't a wilderness survival test. No, it was far worse and god-awfully sinister.

It was April Fools day.

It was a day both team's RWBY and JNPR feared, for the devious partner's in their teams awaited the day like little children on Christmas, just waiting to lure their team's into a hellhole that was 'April Fools'. Ruby remembered last year's April Fools. More of, it traumatized her. She remembered the trickery that happened that day last year, and she was never going to succumb to it again. But there was another person she had to protect as well, no matter what. And so with a determination far surpassing her role as a leader...

She tied up Weiss and threw a piece of tape on her mouth, trying not to alert the evil trickster that dwelled beside her in the other bed. She throwed her over her shoulders and ran with all her semblance could controllably. She ran until she came up to the safe haven she had set up between the two teams, and very carefully placed the fumed, muffled heiress down. Ruby took the tape off the alabaster girl's mouth, who winced at the slight pain of the removal before slowly looking up to the former with an unholy death stare that could possibly scare an anonymous person into running away.

"Ruby," Weiss spoke in a calm, yet terrorizing tone. "You have, 30 seconds, to explain yourself, before a huge crater inhabits your forehead!"

"I'm sorry Weiss, I'm just trying to save you, before it starts." Ruby spoke in a sympathetic tone, trying to calm the girl down.

"Save me from what?! The calm morning sun peering through our window and a cup of coffee awaiting at my disposal?!" Weiss shouted. "I was sleeping soundly, before you tied me up, taped my mouth shut and kidnapped me to the library!"

"Shhh! Not so loud," Ruby whispered, undoing the bindings around the heiress' body. "Today's April Fools day. I dunno if you've seen it before, but I think Yang gets off on this tricking crap. She's borderline crazy when it comes to today."

"April Fools? What's the commotion about it-it's six in the morn-mmph!" Weiss blurted, silenced by Ruby as she cupped her mouth.

"Seriously Weiss, calm down. If we get kicked out of the library, we're sitting ducks. This place is literally the only place to camp out away from the jokes and other torture methods she has planned. This building is 'too boring' for Yang to booby trap, and is hard to pull something without the librarian noticing." The hooded huntress spoke, removing her hand from the latter's mouth.

"So you couldn't have just asked me to come with you? Instead of hogtieing and carrying me away?"

"Would you have believed me if I told you we needed to find shelter from Yang's torturous games that could possibly scar you for life? Would you believe me if I said it's the littlest things that can throw you off the most on this day?"

Weiss thought about it for a moment, before giving a nod in understanding. "Good point."

The sound of running turned their attention towards the growing footsteps fast approaching their hiding spot. Suddenly, Jaune appeared at the hideout, with Pyrrha in his arms, as he ran for cover along the opposite side of the two. Placing the redhead down, he looked over to the duo on the other side as he nodded. "Ah, good to see you guy's made it safely, I thought I heard Nora buzzing in the washroom when I awoke. Grabbed Pyrrha and booked it as fast as I could down here."

"Wow, what a hero." Weiss murmured in a dull tone, rolling her eyes in secret as Ruby turned to him.

"Were you spotted?"

"No, I made sure to be as quiet as I could."

"Good, we should be good to go then."

"Wait, what about Blake?" Ren asked from the other side of the bookshelf Pyrrha and Jaune were leaning against, making the group jump, and Jaune scream in a very feminine tone.

"Jesus Ren! If you're gonna scare us like that, we'll use you as bait!" Jaune exclaimed. Though Ren only gave a blissful smirk.

"April fools." He said nonchalantly, holding his hand out in a symbol of peace.

"What was your question again Ren?" Weiss asked, ignoring the others for a moment as she listened in.

"I was just wondering where Blake was. If I'm not mistaken, she's also a target on this day." The pink eyed man restated. "So why isn't she too worried about it?"

"Trust me. Yang knows not to startle Blake or pull any pranks on her, else she wants something even worse to happen to her." Ruby spoke.

"So wait, Nora's in this too?" Weiss finally asked, as the majority of team JNPR nodded in unison.

"Yeah, I overheard Yang and Nora talking about April Fools a couple days ago. I couldn't hear very well, but I think they teamed up to get us." Pyrrha stated, making Ruby groan.

"Fuck! We've got double the trouble now!" The redhead spoke, as Weiss calmly massaged her arm.

"Hey, it's okay. As long as we stay here, nothing bad will happen to us, right?" The heiress reassured, Ruby nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, you're right. If they were to try and get us, it'd be an instant suspension from here," The hooded teen spoke, breathing a sigh of relief. "We're okay."

With that, the two teams all hunkered down as a moment of silence prevailed. The quietness didn't last long, though as Ruby's and Weiss' stomachs growled a fearsome roar, all of Team JNPR looking over to the noise in disbelief.

"Jesus, that was a mighty growl." Pyrrha stated in an amused look.

"Jaune, did you bring the food like we planned?"

...

...

No reply came from the blond haired boy as he looked away, making Ruby more concerned.  
"Jaune!"

"W-well, I did have the goods. But one half needed to be refrigerated, another I put in my locker. Needless to say..."

"You don't have it, do you?" Weiss bluntly asked the blond, whom in-turn shook his head in defeat.

"Oh, goddammit Jaune! Now we're gonna have to walk into no man's land to get the food!" Ruby scolded in a deflated tone, making Jaune hold his hands up.

"Now don't worry. My locker's in the middle of the main hall, and the stuff's in the cafeteria fridge. We just need to get down there in one piece." Jaune spoke, earning a sigh from the latter as she turned to her girlfriend.

"If I don't make it back, take care of Zwei for me." Ruby told Weiss, giving her a quick kiss before getting up.

"Be careful," Weiss said. "May father Oum be with you."

"Let's go, bunny boy." Ruby instructed as she grabbed Jaune's hoodie and dragged him along.

"W-wait, why do I have to come too?!" He protested.

"Because you're the one who caused this problem -one simple task- I need directions on where everything is," The redhead stated. "And I need a test dummy to test out the traps before I go in."

"Good luck dear." Pyrrha simply said, waving goodbye to her boyfriend in a somewhat amused grin.

"Wait, no, Pyrrha, help me, HELP ME!"

* * *

The leaders of the two teams diligently crept through the hallways of Beacon academy, keeping their eyes peeled for even a hint of suspicion around the quiet and calm hallways of the empty school.

Jaune and Ruby finally stopped at the former's locker, standing up once they were in the clear as the blond dialed the code in. As soon as it was unlocked, he motioned the small redhead to the side of it.

"Stand on this side," Jaune instructed.

"Wait, why? We checked the halls and stuff-"

"Trust me, never let a doubt trick you." He said as Ruby finally pressed against the locker beside his. The blond hid on the other side of it as he slowly opened his locker. As soon as he opened it, two large pies shot out of the locker, hitting the ones adjacent to them with an enormous explosion all across the neighbouring lockers. It didn't end there, though as two large punching gloves extended out of the opposite lockers where the epicenter of the pie explosion landed, almost hitting the two as they jumped slightly.

"See, pies and two boxing gloves. It's just like the time I was seven." Jaune spoke, stopping the bouncing gloves as he rested his hands on his hips and shook his head with a disappointed sound. He soon remembered why it was they were there as he returned to the task. There, on the floor sat two full grocery bags. Jaune picked them up as he dug through them, giving a content nod.

"Here it is," He told the cookie crusader, handing her one of the bags as he took the other. "Now, to get the rest."

The two had managed to get to the cafeteria in one piece, dodging a few close calls and a couple sneak attacks along the way. As soon as they entered the cafeteria though, they felt it was too quiet. Ruby looked to Jaune, whom mimicked the motion as he gave a reassuring nod.

"Don't worry, we'll get through this." He stated, grabbing the bag in the little girl's hand as he placed it down at the entrance.

The two cautiously walked down the tile flooring, not finding any sign of booby traps, nor suspicious oddities. Suddenly, the hologram tv's automatically turned on as the screen buzzed for a few seconds, finally tuning in to the scene as Nora sat in a royal king's throne, a crown on her head and a devilish smirk on her face.

"Ha-hahahaha! Welcome peasants to a glorious day. You must all know it, April Fools day!" Nora said in a cheerfully intimidating mood. "Do you wanna play a game? Cause I LOOOVE games! And what better way then to watch it LIVE-LIVE-Live-live..."

"We're not gonna play your games Nora!" Jaune shouted at the holographic tv. "Just let us get what we want."

"Aw, but that would be no fun! So how about I just get right to it then! That way, you'll instantly fall in love with the game."

"More like force us to participate..." Ruby muttered, shaking her head in disbelief.

"SILENCE! Now you've made me upset!" Nora exclaimed, snapping her fingers as a bunch of automated turrets rose from each aisle, loaded to the brim with paintballs. "OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!"

With another snap, the turrets started spooling, loading the gun mechanism as dozens of paintballs shot out like wildfire. The duo dove for cover at the corner of the benches, hunkering down as best they could as multicoloured balls of paint splattered all over the walls in a line, looking almost like a giant, colourful barcode. Jaune tried to peek around the corner of the bench, only to reel his head back in immediately as a paintball just skimmed his nose. "Shit! She's got us pinned down!" The blue eyed warrior yelled over the paintball fire.

"We need to get out of here!" Ruby shouted back, looking over the top for any ideas, though returning with none. "The machines are loaded! It'll take forever to deplete it!"  
"Can you dodge the paintballs with your semblance?" Jaune asked, gesturing to the kitchen area of the cafeteria.

"No, the barrage is too strong, I'll run out of power before I even get to the fridge."

Jaune looked down for a moment, trying to come up with an idea through the chaos. He watched as the oncoming fire continued to hit the wall with a loud splat, noticing a few desks that had been set up to block them in were keeping a portion of the wall untouched. Suddenly, something clicked.

"That's it!" Jaune exclaimed, pulling out his scroll as he called his locker. Within seconds, the metal rocket locker landed in front of him as his sword and shield popped out shortly after. Equipping his weapons, he popped open his shield as he took cover behind it, slowly popping out of the side as a few paintballs hit the shield, but only that.

"Ruby! Keep cover behind me!" the blond haired boy instructed as Ruby followed through.

Slowly, but surely, the two hunters were making their way to the kitchen, blocking the assault of paint with the man's shield. Soon, they were at the kitchen and the firing stopped as both let out sighs of relief.

"*Phew* we made it!" Ruby congratulated, giving the shaggy blond a high five.

"Yeah, for now at least." He said, sheathing his weapons as they made their way into the kitchen area.

With the obstacle out of the way, the two made it to the fridge as they opened up the chrome doors. Sitting on the shelf was the different assortment of foods the blond left. With a confident smirk, Jaune took the food and put it in his bag, closing the fridge shortly after as the two made their way out. As they made it out to the caf, though, the tv switched on again.

"Dammit! I am going to prank you so hard!" Nora shouted in rage, crossing her arms in a childish way as she slumped in the throne she sat in. "Very well, RISE MY SERVANTS!"

As instructed, the turrets that sat dormant begun to activate again. Instead of spooling again, the machines all rose up as they turned to the only two in the building, finally starting to spin as it loaded again.

"Dammit, look out Ruby!" Jaune shouted, pushing the short redhead to the ground as a series of paint balls hit the blond hero several times in the body. The shaggy warrior hit the ground with a thud as Ruby watched in horror.

"JAUNE!" Ruby exclaimed, running to the boy as she knelt beside him and held him up.

"Go, before it's too late," Jaune spoke in a weakened voice. "Go on.. without me…"

Ruby steeled herself as she shook her head. "No, I'm not gonna leave a man behind." She stated, picking Jaune up piggyback style as she ran to the door. The assault recommenced as the bullets flew all around, Ruby evaded each and every one as she ducked and dodged her way to the door. She grabbed the first bunch of snacks before kicking the door open and running out, only getting scathed by one in the shoulder.

The assault didn't end there, unfortunately for the duo as Ruby felt a button click under her foot. They watched as an explosion of confetti surrounded them. Ruby didn't stop, though as she rushed through the confetti, getting hit by a mysterious goo that could only be described as bright and thick. She continued through as she made it down the stairs, with the gooey, sticky, confetti-covered boy on her back.

"Come back here and get fooled Rose!" Nora shouted on the rooftop of the cafeteria, holding Magnhild in its grenade launcher form as she fired a round off. The shot looked different than her regular ammo. Instead of the usual pink explosion, the round burst open a few feet above the duo's head, causing a massive cluster of what appeared to be some sort of glitter and sparkles as a huge wave came slowly down on them.

"Ah! Glitter attaaaack!" Ruby screamed as she ran from the oncoming waves of sparkly glitter. She ran as best she could with the lanky blond on her back, but it was no use as the two started getting covered in shiny particles

"AAAHH!" Jaune screamed now as the duo fought there way back to the library.

"Retreat, RETREEEEEAATT!"

* * *

 _Meanwhile, in team RWBY's dorm._

All was quiet in the team RWBY bedroom as the golden blonde woman awoke from her peaceful, uninterrupted slumber. She looked around to find just herself in the room alone. Letting out a loud yawn, she rose from her bed as she stretched out the morning stiffness. The brawler got up from the bed as she slowly made her way to the closed window of her bedroom, opening it up as the bright sunlight lit up the room around her. She opened up the window as the sounds of soft explosions erupted in the air, followed by two sets of screams shortly after each explosion. Yang let out a chuckle as she wiped the morning debris out of her eyes.

A pair of warm arms wrapped around the blonde as the person perched her chin on Yang's shoulder. The golden haired girl smirked as she turned her head around to see her favourite faunus feline, Blake Belladonna with a blissful smile on her face.

"Goodmorning sunshine," Blake greeted her loving girlfriend as she gave said girl a kiss. "Sleep well?"

"Oh yeah, it was delightful." Yang returned, giving the faunus girl another kiss.

Blake's cat ears perked up in alert as she looked out the window. "I hear explosions, is Beacon under attack?" She asked, fear evident in her eyes. Yang let out a small chuckle as she shook her head.

"No no, did you forget what day it was today?" Yang said, earning a confused look from the latter. "It's April Fools!"

"Oh, well, I'm hoping that's just a prank someone's pulling," She stated, later realizing something. "Wait, I thought you and Nora were discussing something about April Fools, like an ultimate scheme or something?"

"We talked, yes," Yang admitted. "But we weren't discussing a group prank. In fact, the exact opposite."

"What do you mean by that?" Blake asked as curious ears piqued.

"I told Nora that I wanted to take this year off, and that she had free-reign to prank Ruby and Weiss. I told her to keep it a secret from the other duo though, so that she'd think I was still going to do April Fools."

As soon as Yang finished her explanation, a tiny Ruby could be seen in the distance, glittered like a school project and goo all over her keeping said glitter in place, Jaune on her back looking quite the same as the former carried the latter across the school campus. Tiny, pink explosions kept raining down just above them, showering them in sparkly dust as the two ran for shelter. The duo was both shouting at each other, arguing like a married couple as small screams could be heard after each explosion of glitter.

"I gotta say though, this is a whole new level of amusement. Nora really went far-out with this one." The comedic brute stated as she let out small laughter.

"So are we safe though?" Blake asked, worried about what laid behind the outside door of their room.

"Of course. I threatened Nora that if she got you and me on purpose, that she would not be safe sleeping for the next week or so. I think she got the clear message."

Blake sighed in relief as she snuggled up firmer to the blonde. "That's my baby," She said, resting her head on the former's shoulder. "So why did you opt to not participate this year?"

Yang smirked as she turned around in the embrace, cupping the girl's cheeks.

"Cause there's something more important to me this year than pranking."

* * *

 **Heyo! Just one more thing, I wanted to make an omake for this chapter, so if you've made it this far enjoy, and stay tuned!**

* * *

 **Omake:**

Jaune and Ruby slowly entered the library, the latter dragging her feet as she carried the former. Before long, they made it back to the safe zone. The group that sought shelter looked up to their leaders as a look of shock enveloped their faces.

"Oh my god, Ruby.."

"Dear Oum, Jaune…"

Jaune slumped off of the smaller huntress' back, landing with a squish as the duo collapsed to the floor.

"So. Much. Sparkles…" Jaune murmured in horror as Pyrrha tried to console her boyfriend.

"There there…"

"Ruby, are you okay?" Weiss asked her girlfriend, massaging her scalp gently as the latter moaned in agony.

"Jesus… he's so heavy," Ruby whined as she panted heavily. "You'd think he'd be easy to carry…"

Weiss let out a giggle as she kissed the little girl's head. "It's okay, you made it out of there at least. The good news is you're alive."

"Yeah, and what's more, we have food." Jaune stated, sitting up as he pulled the bags in front of him.

"Oh thank god, I'm starv-"

Before Weiss could finish her sentence, Jaune opened the bags of food, expecting the snacks he had packed only to find an explosion of confetti and more glitter. The explosion flew up in the air, landing on each individual. Everyone was left speechless as they looked at the booby trapped bag Jaune held in his hand, the blond slowly curling up before exploding.

" **NOOOORRRAAAAAAA!** "


	26. Special Chapter (Easter)

**Hey Guys! Welcome back to another special chapter. Just gonna do a quick update. So I have the next chapter done for this story, just letting you know it's a special chapter in the story itself, it's not like these ones where it's just a one-shot type. So yeah, just letting you know on that. Also, Topaz and I will be working on the next chapter for BOA soon, so stay tuned for that as well. Lastly, I wanted to do a special chapter earlier this year in memory of Monty Oum. Just to show him my gratitude and as a tribute to him and his work. He was an inspiring man with a heart like no other, and his legacy will continue to reign throughout the RWBY community... unfortunately, I found out a few weeks too late (the middle of February) that his passing had already...passed. And so, instead, I turned it into a religion in itself. Because he sparked a great fire in me (And all of us) that gave me something, and turned into something more. On and on, until I got here, and it will continue to burn, as will my passion for my newly found hobby.**

 **One more thing before you go, kinda a warning if you will for those hardcore religious peoples. I am not religious myself, so please do not take any of the religious pieces to heart. I am not trying to offend anybody, especially in the omake (PS. there's an omake). If you are religious and are offended by this... Well, I don't even know why you're reading my shit to begin with then. This shit ain't for hardcore believers (or whatever you call them). YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.**

* * *

 _Thursday, April 13_ _th_

It was like any other afternoon in team CVFY's dorm room. Fox was listening to music, Yatsuhashi was bench pressing 1000 pounds -with reinforced metal floors below the bench press to support the massive weights- and Velvet was happily snoozing in Coco's lap as said girl read a magazine. It was just before good Friday, leading to the Easter holiday. So the 3rd year teams were kept stationary for the event to allow everyone a break from combat. It had been awhile since the team had been back at Beacon, with the constant missions that strewn their timeline like a piece of string, they hadn't had much time to indulge the things back at Vale. Sure, they did get those rare few times while on mission, but the towns they visited didn't posses the type of landscape and marketing Vale sported. Needless to say, everyone was glad to be back in their own beds,

Especially the crosshares couple.

The machine gun wielder put down the magazine and stared at the little faunus bunny in her lap, a relieved smile stretched on her face as she brushed the bun's hair back calmly. It was good to finally be in an environment devoid of fighting, away from gunfire and bloodshed. It alleviated her to know that her girlfriend was safe and sound with her, back on their home turf. The brunette faunus made a low moaning noise as she flipped over onto her other side, exposing her calm, emotionless resting complexion for her girlfriend to see.

"You glad to be back?" Yatsuhashi asked, placing the bar back on the bench as he looked over to the duo on the bed. Coco nodded contently as she looked down to her faunus companion.

"It's nice to be away from all the threats and war, knowing my bun and I are safe. It's definitely relieving."

"Yeah, no doubt. It's nice to finally be back home. Now I don't have to hear Edward Scyther-hands complain about not getting any time off." The tall man added.

"I heard that," Fox interjected, looking in the general direction of the large sword heaver. "And you're one to talk, you've wanted some time off just as much as I did."

"I only wanted some time to browse the multicultural towns we probably won't be able to see again. We were so busy with our job's that we were only able to see what was around the main street while making our way out of the town."

"Well, maybe next time Yat." Coco finished as she carefully lifted the resting bunny's head up, extra cautious as to not touch the ears, before placing her fully down on the bed and getting up.

As soon as Coco stood up, the door knocked in a series of soft taps that sounded like a bunch of golf balls hitting said door in a row. Coco walked over quickly as to stop the immense pounding (…Thatswhatshesaid) that was wearing on the door, turning the knob, though giving it a slight delay as to allow the culprit a minute to stop, before finally opening it. Standing on the other side of the door was her favourite redhead, Ruby Rose, with her girlfriend and partner Weiss Schnee standing just behind her. The former seemed to be giddier than the latter as she kept bouncing on her heels rather energetically.

"Ah, I had a feeling it would be you that was attacking my door," Coco greeted, poking the little redhead's nose as said girl giggled cheerfully. "It's good to see you two, come in."

"Oh, we'd love to," Ruby replied happily, until her girlfriend cleared her throat, making the short hooded girl remember something. "Oh, I just remembered we can't, me and Weiss were about to go dress shopping for something to wear to church on Saturday. Something about the Oumian religion, or something..."

Weiss sighed. "The death of our lord, Monyreak Oum. He's the very creator of our world. Without him, we wouldn't exist today." She lectured.

"I didn't know you were religious." Coco piped in curiously as Weiss turned her gaze to the older woman.

"Just because I'm rather… high end. Let alone, a lesbian, doesn't mean I'm not religious. There are many people who are gay that are also religious, you know."

"I know, I know," The girl in the beret answered. "I just wouldn't expect you to be one of them."

Weiss let out a small huff as she grasped at a necklace around her throat, revealing it to show a symbol of a sun, with multiple bird like patterns flying off into the horizon. "First Blake and Yang, and now you too…" She muttered as she let her necklace drop and crossed her arms in defeat.

"Anyway. We were wondering if you and Velvet would like to join us tomorrow on the Easter egg scavenger hunt?" Ruby continued.

Coco looked over to her girlfriend, who was still sleeping soundly. She gave the two girls a shrug. "I'm not quite sure, Velv's asleep right now. I'll ask her tonight, but I have a good feeling she'll say yes." She answered.

"Wait, what about us?" Yatsuhashi interjected, pointing to him and Fox. Ruby looked over to the two as she gave a look of confusion.

"I-I, didn't think you'd like Easter eggs and bunnies and all that." The redhead replied, making the tall man's jaw drop in shock.

"…I love bunnies." Yatsuhashi spoke in the manliest tone he could while saying such a sentence, making Coco laugh.

"I-I mean, you're welcome to come with us too-"

"He's just joking, Ruby," Fox spoke, getting up from his bed. "We appreciate the offer though."

Ruby gave a rather half-hearted laugh, rubbing the back of her head. Weiss nudged her partner, reminding her of the task at hand as she knew to wrap up the conversation. "Well alright. If you want to join us, it's down at the auditorium just before noon," She concluded, waving as she walked down the hallway. "I hope to see you guys tomorrow!"

And with that, the redhead was gone with her girlfriend. As Coco went back inside, she thought about the pro's and con's about the event. Sure, it was festive, and for everyone. But, she felt a little… childish, going to a chocolate Easter egg hunt. And what about her girlfriend? She felt it would insult her to ask the one rabbit faunus to an Easter egg event. Although, she would be the perfect mascot for such an event. It was all very difficult for her to make up her mind about it, and so, she decided to leave it in the hands of a certain mascot contestant.

That night, the duo ate at the common lounge area as they watched their favourite tv show, talking and joking about. It was at that moment that Coco remembered the request from Ruby, and waited until a good time to ask her. She finally found such an opportunity when the commercials came on and her girlfriend decided to lay down atop her stomach, looking up to her girlfriend as she smirked.

"So Ruby came to our dorm today." Coco stated, earning a surprised look from the bunny.

"Oh? I didn't see her." Velvet replied, awaiting her girlfriend's response.

"She visited when you were asleep," The commander continued. "Anyways, she asked if you and I would like to join her tomorrow for an Easter egg hunt. It's supposed to be at the auditorium at 11."

Velvet nodded pretty quickly in response to the question, making the latter quite surprised. "Sure, that sounds fun! I can snap some awesome photos too and stuff."

"Wait, you're okay with it and everything? Even though your ears…"

Velvet simply laughed as she waved her hand rather blithely. "Oh please, I've been called the Easter bunny since I was in grade 1. That was my costume five years in a row when I was young," The faunus girl replied. "I'm so used to it now, that I actually embrace the spirit of EB every year."

The beret wearer looked to her girlfriend in a dumbfounded way. "Wow, I didn't think you'd be so open about it." She admitted, earning a smirk from the latter.

"Eh, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em"

And with that, the duo continued to watch the rest of the show, soon falling asleep on the couch nestled to one-another.

* * *

Coco awoke to the bright sunlight beaming inside the lounge area. The place was deathly quiet as the only sound she could hear was of hers and Velvet's breathing patterns. She looked downwards to find two bunny ears, resting calmly on her body, continuing down, she saw her girlfriend calmly sleeping atop her bosoms as her breathing was calm and slow. Smirking, the commander entwined her fingers through the faunus girl's hair, massaging her scalp as the latter made a low noise of contentment. Soon, the bunny girl woke up as she drowsily looked up at the short haired leader. "Goodmorning baby." Velvet spoke in her morning stupor, moving forward as she gave her girlfriend a lazy kiss good morning.

"Mornin' bun," Coco replied as she gave Velvet another kiss. "sleep well?"

The faunus girl nodded as she got up from the couch, stretching out as a loud yawn reverberated throughout the lounge. "We should probably get our stuff ready for the egg hunt today. What time is it anyway?"

Coco rummaged through her pocket for her scroll, opening it as she read the time. The fashionista's eyes popped out as she got up. "It's 10:30!" She exclaimed.

"We got to get ready!"

With that, the duo rushed up the stairs to their dorm hall, running as fast as they could until they came to their dorm room. With an easy swipe, the scroll unlocked the door as the two ran inside, not seeing any of their other teammates in the room with them.

"Bun, you go take a shower," Coco instructed as Velvet nodded. "I'll get your outfit ready."

Following her instructions, Velvet ran inside the bathroom as the water started running. Coco went into the large closet they shared together, rummaging through the clothes in frustration.

' _no, that's too warm, that'll constrict her, she might trip over that,_ ' The brunette mentally spoke, looking for a suitable outfit for Velvet. ' _Oh, dear Oum, help me find something!'_

As if the prayer was answered, she finally found an easy, white spaghetti-strapped sundress that went just about to her knee's. "Perfect!" Coco exclaimed, throwing the outfit on the bed as she continued.

Velvet finally exited the bathroom as Coco finished with the last pieces of her wardrobe. "There you are hun, my turn now." The taller girl spoke as she went into the showers. Velvet put on the outfit as she finished drying her hair, her now looking for clothes for her girlfriend. She finally found a suitable pair of leggings, along with Coco's running shoes she worn when she went out to jog. She soon found a nice tank top and plaid shirt to go with her outfit, as Coco finally stepped out of the bathroom.

The commander put on the assembled outfit, giving herself a smirk in the mirror before she put on her aviators. Meanwhile, Velvet went into the small kitchen area and made themselves a couple quick coffees to go as well as a few simple peanut butter and jam sandwiches, she quickly wrapped them in aluminum foil before storing them in a paper bag and then in her pouch. She made their coffee's the way the two liked them -double-double for her girlfriend and just cream in hers- as she put the lids on the respective cups and walked back out to her girlfriend, who was just putting on her aviators as she looked back to Velvet. Both shared a stunning look at one another as they walked up to each other.

"Wow." Both girls said in awe as they neared each other. Velvet gave her leader her coffee, along with a quick kiss, as both made their way out of their dorm room.

With the quick morning rush out of the way, the duo briskly walked towards the auditorium. When they arrived, the place looked to be half packed, not too many people arrived, and most were first and second year students. It made Coco cringe lightly, knowing they were the only 3rd year participants in the hunt. But her doubts and thoughts cleared when her girlfriend grabbed her hand. "Come on, let's go find Ruby." Velvet spoke, earning a small nod from Coco as they continued.

They slowly walked further into the auditorium as they looked left and right for the familiar redhead, soon finding her in the middle left row as she gave an energetic squeal in delight. Suddenly, the couple was squeezed into one of the shorter girl's bear hug's as she jumped off and looked to them in excitement. "Oh, you guys came! I'm so glad!" the hooded huntress spoke, clasping her hands together in zeal as she gave a big toothy smile. "I was worried you wouldn't show up!"

Velvet laughed as she ruffled the younger girl's hair. "You did invite us, so why not?" She spoke as the younger continued to grin.

"Ruby!" Weiss called out, the group all looking toward the left row as Weiss walked through the rows and to the aisle that the small group circled, finally catching up with them. "There you are! I turned my head for a minute and you just disappeared!"

The small redhead giggled as she wrapped herself around Weiss' arm. "Sorry Weissy, I just saw Coco and Velvet and I bolted." She spoke, Weiss turning to the duo as a content smirk arose on her face.

"Ah, Coco, Velvet. I didn't think you'd show up today," Weiss admitted. "Though I am glad you did, it seems like not a whole lot of people came today, let alone third year's."

"Eh, we didn't have much else to do." Coco said.

The lights started to dim slightly as the stage lit up vibrantly. The group all noticed and sat at the closest seats available as the headmaster finally walked onto the stage. He cleared his throat as the sound echoed through the speakers, before finally beginning.

"Welcome Beacon students, to this year's annual Easter egg hunt. For those new to the event, large eggs have been placed all around Beacon's campus grounds. Inside contains a golden ticket," Professor Ozpin spoke, demonstrating one of the rather large eggs as he pulled a ticket from the inside of it. "These eggs are easily noticeable, but aren't necessarily easy to obtain. They have been placed in the hardest orifices and the toughest cracks of Beacon academy. You will have to utilize the skills you've acquired, and tools that we will give you in order to get them. To make the game a little more fun, we've placed a single golden egg atop the statue at the walkway. Whoever can carry it back, along with all the tickets they've earned, will earn the bonus prize."

"Good luck, no fighting. The game manual will give further detail on the rules of the game. And be back before three."

And with that, everyone rose as they made their way to the equipment desks. Getting their tools as soon as possible as they ventured off into the Campus.

* * *

A few hours into the game, the group had managed to find quite a few eggs. With Velvet's ability to see things in the dark, and Ruby and Coco's hunting experience, they had acquired most of the eggs on the campus grounds. The rules of the game were simple: nobody was allowed to steal from people's ticket bags, but could snag the eggs or tickets before being pocketed. There wasn't allowed any fights, but duels were allowed so long as both sides agreed and forfeited a ticket. The duel had simple rules as well: battle with wooden swords until one person landed on the ground or knelt. It was a fairly simple game to the group, as they continued to snag eggs. Though there had been some near-catches with other players trying to steal their eggs, but they had been following the game rather fairly and were getting a good amount of tickets doing so. The team started seeing less and less of the eggs as they continued though, making them consider their next move.

"We haven't seen an egg in awhile," Ruby said, still searching around. "Nor any other players around here."

"What should we do sweetie?" Velvet asked her girlfriend, whom had a new idea in mind.

"How about we go after the golden egg?" Coco suggested. "They haven't been able to get it off of the tip of the statue's sword, so why don't we give it a try?"

"I don't know," Weiss spoke in. "Even if we get it down from the statue, the other players could snatch it before we do."

"Nobody's been able to get it off of the statue, so either something's holding it in place, or it's a really heavy thing." Ruby commented.

The group all contemplated the move, it being the only other option available. The group finally agreed as they made their way to the monument.

They noticed other people trying to get it as they arrived at the location. With students trying to pull it off the sword it lightly sat atop. The party looked in concern from the amount of difficulty it presented to the other team's, looking to Coco for advice. The leader studied the egg carefully, noting how it only seemed to rock slightly from side to side every time someone tried to pick it up. Soon, she had an idea.

"Velv, can you spawn me Yatsuhashi's sword from your belt?" Coco asked, to which her girlfriend nodded.

In a flash, the tall man's greatsword layout appeared in Velvet's hand, though it seemed hollowed out and rather ghostly, the caster seemed to almost drop it as she handed Coco the hilt. Coco gripped the handle firmly as she heaved it onto her shoulder. "Get back!" She instructed the other players as she approached the statue. The groups all complied as they noticed the big, virtual weapon she carried. The person atop the statue got down from the thing as he stepped away from the fashionista. Coco planted the blade down as she grabbed it in a reverse grip. She quickly dashed forward as she jumped at the golden egg perched on the swords tip. With one great swing, she hit the egg with a resonating _**PANG!**_ Causing her to quickly spin the opposite way before landing on the ground. The crowd watched as the egg wobbled and spun on the tip of the sword, indicating some force definitely made it move. Suddenly, the egg started to tip as it fell off the statue, hitting the ground with a hard _thud_.

"It fell off." One of the players said in shock.

"It's finally free." Another spoke.

Velvet and the rest of the group all walked over to the kneeling girl, as the bunny girl wrapped her in a hug. "You did it!" She exclaimed, giving Coco a kiss before grabbing her hand and walking over to the crater that rested the golden egg. The commander tried to lift it, struggling tremendously as she looked at the egg in shock. "This thing must be solid gold or something, it weighs a ton!" She huffed, wiping sweat off her brow.

"Here, let's all try and lift it." The group spoke, each member grabbing a side as they all tried to lift it. The egg lifted a few inches off the ground, until the group all dropped it out of exhaustion.

"Fuck! How'd they even get this hunk of metal on the tip anyway?!" Coco said in a dumbfounded tone, as a lightbulb lit in Weiss' eyes.

"They must've used magic!" The heiress exclaimed, grabbing her rapier as she stepped back a couple steps. The group mimicked her action as the heiress planted her sword into the ground. Suddenly, a white glyph surrounded the egg as it slowly lifted it in the air. The party all watched as Weiss struggled to get it to lift a couple of feet higher, before panting lightly.

"There… Now let's get it back," Weiss huffed as she pulled her sword out of the ground and pointed it at the floating glyph. "Lead the way."

"Hey, wait a minute."

The group stopped mid-track as they all looked behind them to the crowd of other participants, whom all had disgruntled faces to them. "We were the ones that got to the egg first, we should get it."

"Pffff, please, we were the ones constructing plans to get it down." Another person argued.

"Hey, let's not forget about the one's who said to climb the thing! We were responsible for that."

"Enough!" One of the male participants shouted, silencing the crowd as he stepped through. "I was the one who climbed on top of this statue, I'm the one that tried to heave the thing off. If anyone has objections to giving it to me…"

The man stepped out of the crowd, walking mid-point between the crowd and the group. The man was none other than the big bully himself, Cardin Winchester, as he planted his weapon in the ground with a crater like hole. Soon his other teammates stepped out of the woodworks as they all readied their weapons as well. "Step forward, I dare you."

The group all stood still as they looked at the menace of Beacon academy in frustration. Cardin and his gang broke the rules just for a golden egg, just for a simple prize. And while most of them wanted to test his might, no one wanted to do so and face possible disqualification.

All, but one particular mascot.

"I have a problem."

Cardin turned his head back to the small party as Velvet walked forward, an emotionless face on her as she strode forth. She raised her hand as she snapped her fingers, calling behind her for the wooden sword as Coco fumbled for a moment with her instructions. She eventually walked over to give it to her as Velvet gripped the handle of the sword with a smirk. "Thank you, sweetie," She spoke, giving her girl a bluntly noticeable kiss before nodding. "This'll take a moment."

Cardin's eyes seemed to hold shock and horror from the recent act of the two, frozen in place. "You two are lesbians? You disgusting- "

His words were cut off as Velvet smacked the tall man square in the head, earning a low 'Ouf' as he bent over to the side. It didn't end there, though as Velvet smacked his face upwards, pulling him back up in a groggy-like state. The bunny then started dishing out blows, to his face, legs and body as the brown haired man was whipped from side to side. Eventually, he collapsed forward as Velvet spun around, whacking him with incredible force as he went flying back, skidding to a stop by his teammates. Cardin's group looked up to the bunny faunus as said girl held the slightly bloody, wooden sword in a readied stance, barely panting at all as she looked at them with a deadly stare. "Would any of you like to have a go with me too?" She offered in a content-like voice, earning quick shakes of their heads as one of them picked Cardin up and ran away.

Velvet lowered her weapon as she let out a breath of relief. The rest of the crowd parted as Velvet's team took the acclaimed award. Coco and the rest smiled as they made their way back to the auditorium.

With one big ass, shiny trophy.

* * *

"And the winner of this year's Easter egg hunt goes to… Ruby and Weiss!"

The participants of the hunt all clapped as Ruby and Weiss walked up onto the stage, taking their prize as they waved to the crowd, and specifically, Coco and Velvet. The duo stepped down from the stage as Ozpin cleared his throat.

"And finally, the winners of the bonus prize are… Coco and Velvet!"

Once again, the crowd all clapped as the duo stepped up onto the stage, Ozpin congratulated them as he handed them an envelope with something in it. They simply walked off the stage as Ozpin concluded the annual Easter hunt, and the crowd all made their way out of the auditorium.

The white rose couple reunited with the crosshares duo outside, earning commemorative hugs from each member. "Congrats guys! You did it!" Ruby congratulated.

Coco let out a chuckle. "But it was you two who won the first place prize. By the way, what did you guys even win?"

"Let's see," Ruby took out the envelope with the prizes in it as she opened it up. She pulled out the tickets as she read them first, her complexion soon dampening as she read it. "What? It's a coupon for a free poster."

"What? Let me see," Weiss grabbed the coupons as her look too lowered. "It's a poster of the same school that we go to! Why would I want a poster of Beacon when I can see it whenever I like?!"

Coco laughed at the duo, soon realizing something as she grabbed the bonus prize envelope and opened it up. Her look shot down as she read the title of the coupon. "…It's just a coupon for a free coffee at the local coffeehouse."

And with that, the group all slumped in defeat, making their walk back to the dorm's as they all were exhausted.

* * *

 **Hey guys! Just wanted to let you know I did an omake, if you're still reading this, keep going! And stay tuned for more!**

 **\/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/**

 **Omake:**

 _Thursday afternoon_ _._

"Arrgh! Where is it?!"

Weiss had been searching in the closet for what seemed like hours, looking for one particular clothing item. Though the scene looked more like she was tearing through the shared closet that she and Ruby had as she searched left and right of the small space.

"You looking for Rubes? I think she already came out of there awhile ago." Yang spoke, earning a cold glare from the ice queen.

"Quiet you," She simply scolded as she continued to look. "I'm looking for a specific dress, one that I worn to church every Sunday for the Easter ceremony."

"Wait, you go to church?" Blake spoke in a shocked tone, earning a nod from the latter.

"Yes, I'm Oumian," The heiress replied, earning quizzical looks from both parts of the bumblebee duo. Weiss looked back at them puzzled. "What? You know the religion of Oum, don't you?"

"Kinda," Yang shrugged, shaking her hand to represent little knowledge. "I've heard about it, but hey, I'm not religious."

"From what I read, the Oumian religion is like a big ceremony in the more northwestern parts of Remnant," Blake explained. "But the religion seems a little questioning. At the end of the ceremonies and stuff, the participants go home and play Halo as 'part of the oath'."

Weiss sighed as she gave up on finding her dress. "Exemption of the murderous game, I'm part of that boat."

"Really? Why would you have to play a game in the name of their lord?" Yang asked in a confused tone.

"Why do Jews keep moving north when their no longer enslaved by Africans? No one really knows, they just do in the faith of their god," Weiss said. "And so, they play in the name of god."

Before anyone else could say something, Ruby waltzed into the dorm room, flashing a cheery smile as she skipped up to her girlfriend. "Heeeey Weeiss!" She greeted with a content smile, giving her a big, full-out kiss. "Watchya doin'?"

"She was looking for you in the closet," Yang spoke in, earning another glare from the white and red clad girl's. "I guess she didn't get the memo."

Weiss sighed as she turned back to her girlfriend. "Come on, let's go get some dresses."

Ruby's look deflated a bit as she looked at the heiress quizzically. "What's wrong with our dresses? I mean, it is a combat skirt, but it's multifunctional. Do I not look good in it anymore?" She countered, as the alabaster teen shook her hands out.

"No no no, you are beautiful sweetheart," Weiss apologized, cupping the shorter's cheeks. "I meant a church dress for the Saturday service we're going to. I can't find my old one, and I don't think you have one either."

"Oooohh… Okay!" Ruby complied as her chipper mood returned, taking her hand as they went to leave.

"Wait, you knew she was Oumian?" Yang questioned, earning a nod from the girl in question.

"Well, yeah. It was something she told me awhile back. She just recently brought it back up today." Ruby nodded.

The blonde went to say something, but shook her head as the other couple made their way out, Ruby saying something about the Easter egg hunt to Weiss, before an idea seemed to illuminate in her mind.

 _The end_.


	27. Special Chapter (Bumblebee)

**Hey guys! Welcome to another special chapter for TWR. This chapter is canon with the actual story though, and follows the bumblebee duo's day while their other counterpart is sick. I needed something more to write about other than White rose for a little bit. I love the couple, but I need a break from them to write about something else. Plus, with the voice actress of Weiss (Kara Eberle, for those who don't know) revealing that the heiress is straight, it kinda dampened my thought process. BUUT, Blake's voice actress (Arryn Zech) revealed that the kitty cat is bi, and thus, what inspired me to write this chapter. Now, I'm honestly just hoping that bumblebee will be canon someday. Not that I'm against black sun and other ships, but I just don't like Sun in the sense of the straight ship cliché. But hey, that's enough of the ranting. Enjoy the story.**

The classroom was remotely quiet as the students were all busy, either working on assignments, or talking to their peers beside them. At the very front sat the quiet cat faunus Blake Belladonna, working through the textbook questions assigned to the class with minimal error. Beside her, her rambunctious and rowdy girlfriend Yang Xiao-Long, was doing her typical afternoon activity; taking a nap using the textbook to prop her arms up a bit. The cat faunus had previously tried to get Yang to work with her through it, but before she knew it, the brute was out like a burnt out light.

' _I don't know how this makes her so exhausted. For such an energetic blonde, she seems to fall asleep through even the slightest hint of a lesson._ '

"Ah, Miss Belladonna."

Blake snapped up at her name called out as she saw professor Port walk up to the front row. She gave the grey haired man a smirk as she sat up straight. "Yes, professor?"

"I was just wondering where the other half of your team was. I haven't seen them at all this morning." Port replied, pointing to the two empty seats that the duo usually sat at.

"Oh, Ruby was feeling sick this morning, so Weiss opted to take care of her for the day," Blake explained. "I'll take the assignments from today to them sir."

"Ah, I see. That's very kind of Weiss to take time to help her team mate out, it reminds me of my days of youth..."

As soon as the professor started rambling, Blake returned to her bookwork. She flipped the page as she continued to work through the text, giving little sounds of acknowledgement every once and awhile as Port continued. Before Blake knew it, she was finished the schoolwork as she closed her textbook and put away her notebook.

"...Ah, the good ol' days. But that's enough of my glorious tales for today, here's two copies of the assignments for your ill leader and her partner." The grey haired man spoke, giving Blake the copies of the work.

"Thank you sir, I'll make sure to give it to them after school." Blake said, putting the assignments in her bag.

"And uh, make sure that _this_ one," Port spoke, slamming his hand on the desk as Yang shot up. "Gets hers done as well."

"I will."

After handing over the assignments, Port walked back over to his office desk as he did his own paperwork. Yang mumbled something under her breath as she went back to her nap, though was halted by Blake's hand on her shoulder.

"Come on Yang, you can't just sleep whenever you attend this class, you have work." Blake lightly scolded.

"I'll do it when we get back to the dorms, it's no big deal." Yang replied, resting her head back down.

"Do you forget what we have planned after school?"

"Oh yeah, we're going out tonight," Yang stated, shooting up as she hugged the faunus girl beside her. "OOOohhh, I can't wait!"

"Then you gotta finish what's due."

The last sentence made Yang curl up as she sighed. "I will, I will." She agreed.

* * *

The bell finally rung as the other classmates filed out of the room. The blonde packed her things up as she turned to leave the room, only stopping when she noticed Blake's stern look at her. "I'll do it after we get lunch." Yang told her girlfriend, grabbing her hand as they made their way out the classroom.

The duo stopped at the black clad's locker, placing her things in said locker as she put the extra assignments on the floor of the metal compartment. After closing it, Blake sent an access code to Weiss, before returning to the job at hand. The bumblebee couple made their way to the cafeteria in relative time, finding the lineup was a short enough time. Looking over to the right, they found their close friends and neighbouring team, JNPR, sitting at a bench with a couple open seats left. "Here, go sit with JNPR, I'll get us our lunches," Yang instructed, pointing to the team at the far end of the benches. "Okay baby?"

Blake nodded, kissing the blonde before walking down the aisle to the open seats. Though something felt odd to her, though she couldn't tell what or where, she felt eyes narrowing in on her. It made her breath hitch as she swiftly peered down the benches with one eye, finding team CRDL with pale looking faces looking at her. The team looked away as soon as she spotted them, but she knew exactly why they were glaring at her, and her partner.

' _They're close to the doors there, they definitely seen me and Yang kiss,_ ' Blake thought as she continued down the aisle. ' _I swear, they say anything, I'll tear all of them a new one._ '

The cat faunus' hidden rambling was subsided when she finally walked up to team JNPR, whom she hadn't noticed were also accompanied by Coco and Velvet. The onyx haired girl's spirits were instantly brightened as she saw the two additions, waving contently.

"Hey guys," Blake greeted happily as she sat next to the 3rd year students. "Coco, Velvet. It's nice to see you. I haven't seen you two in awhile, how've you been?"

"Hey Blake, we've been great," The short haired girl replied, whom Blake noticed was also holding hands with her other partner. "The boys are out on a hunt, so we decided to come and mingle around with the other younglings."

After her reply was given, Yang plopped down a tray in front of Blake before sitting down next to the faunus. "Hey guys. Velvet, Coco, how've you been?" She spoke before picking up her fork.

The two groups had found out awhile back that they had something very much in common –well, two things- something that made their friendships grow tenfold: They both were dating their female partners in their team, and one of their partners was a faunus. The two had found that out when they ran into one another one night during a date. When one told the other the same explanation, the two couples realized they were in the same boat. And after asking the 3rd year classmates to join, the duo had grown rather closer to them. After that night, they would sometimes run into one another abruptly, but was a quick greeting before they left off for another mission or a study session during their spares. So it was a rare oddity to see the two together, sitting down at the same table together.

"How are you two doing Blake, Yang?" Velvet asked as her bunny ears perked up attentively.

"We're pretty good, just came out of Port's class," Yang said, linking hands with her faunus partner. "Helped the others, did my work. My usual."

"You fell asleep during his lecture." Blake added in, making Coco laugh.

"Ah, it's good to see nothing much has changed," The leader spoke. "I fell asleep in that class countless times. It was my go-to class when I was tired from late night studying."

"Umm.. don't mean to interrupt you," Jaune spoke up now as the two couples returned to the whole group. "But we're still here."

"Ah, right. Sorry." Coco apologized, returning to her food.

"It seems you've met one another already." Ren spoke, adding to the subject.

"Yeah, Coco and I ran into these two on the same date night, at the same restaurant. We talked for hours before we went our own ways," Velvet explained. "What a coincidence, we're sharing another table with them."

The team nodded in understanding as they continued to eat, them having known that the two groups were already dating for sometime now. It wasn't like the two couples were hiding it, though. And what would they need to, Coco wasn't afraid to knock a few homophobes out, having had to a couple times in all her time dating. And Yang. Well, some of the students heard the rumour about what happened at Junior's nightclub. If that was just her acting out of self-defence, who knows what would happen if Blake was involved?

The group continued to talk, though Blake had zoned out back to CRDL's table, who looked to be having a heated argument or something as the people would cheer every now and again. The faunus' attention was returned when a soft hand grabbed her shoulder firmly, turning her head back to Yang. "What was that, sorry?" she asked.

"I was just wondering if you were alright, you're looking across the tables like you expect something to happen," Yang stated, wrapping her arm around the girl. "Are you okay Blake?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I just caught them glaring at you and I at the front of the caf," The cat faunus responded, pointing with her head at the rowdy team several benches away. "They gave me a harsh glare after we kissed."

"Who, CRDL?" Yang asked waving it off with a worriless noise. "Those idiots are nothing; I've seen grimm with more fight than them."

"They've been giving us cold stares too," Coco replied with an unamused sigh. "Those punks have no respect for anybody, they seem to forget this is an accepting and gender neutral school."

"Don't worry about it guys," Jaune butted in now. "They're the least of your problems."

"Jaune's right," Ren spoke up. "It's best to just ignore their rude complexions towards you, for that is all it is: a face."

* * *

The whole group agreed on Ren's terms as they all averted their topic to something different, though it still seemed to bug Blake, and Yang could see it in her eyes. She took one last glance at the team, before turning her whole gaze back to the group. It was going well, too, until the two halves split up and went their ways, JNPR having to go to the school, leaving the bumblebee and crosshares couple to talk as they walked down the pathway. The problem arose when they came across the group of misfits on their way through, blocking their progress as the two predominant girls in the group walked forward.

"Excuse us." Yang spoke in a stern tone.

"Well well, look who it is, it's the bumblebee and crosshares couple," Russel spoke in a declarative way. "You off to go scissor each other now?"

"We'll only ask you once more," Coco spoke up now, cracking her knuckles as well as her neck. "Get out of the way, what we do is none of your business."

"Aww, would you look at that. Why don't you girls give us a chance? You'll turn bi-curious after we're done." Sky stated, puffing out his chest as if to show off some sort of attractiveness to it. The two couples all rolled their eyes as they stood their ground.

"Come on girls, don't be shy." Dove spoke now, clapping his hands to the side, as if to call them as the team started to circle them.

At this point, the two groups started getting wolf whistles and disgusting flirtatious noises as the team started surrounding them. Yang and Coco were just about to break some jaws, when Blake suddenly walked forward in her usual strut, both sides stopped as the jocks started to reach out. Yang couldn't believe her eyes as she saw Blake walk up to them, Velvet and Coco seemed to have the same flabbergasted expression as they watched. Blake started to pick up her pace, nearing towards Dove as he gave a nod. "That's right girl, come ov-"

The man's sentence was jarred as Blake punched him square in the face with a mighty swing. The chestnut coloured man got knocked backwards as he started tumbling down the stairs behind them, hitting the railing a few times before finally landing at the bottom with a _thud_. Everyone watched, dumbfounded and awestruck at the scene just displayed, as Blake lowered her fist and turned to the rest of the group. "Would anyone else, care to join him?" Blake spoke in a low, intimidating voice that sent shivers up everyone's spines.

"U-uhm, no." Sky answered in a shaky tone.

"Then get the _fuck_ out of our way!" The angered cat faunus screamed, making the whole group beeline it out of her vicinity. The rest of the group continued to watch in utter disbelief at what just went down. To see the calm and quiet cat ninja put her foot down like that was new to even Yang, whom was beaming pride and slight fear of her true prowess.

"Blake, holy shit, that was awesome!" Yang spoke up now as the group walked forward, though Blake's only motion was her head looking down, almost as if in defeat.

"Blake, are you alright?" Velvet spoke up now, cautiously walking closer to the black haired woman. Out of the blue, the faunus bolted away from the group, down the stairs that Dove tumbled down and down the walkway to Beacon, evading a couple pedestrians along the way.

"BLAKE!" Coco called out as the group went down the stairs and looked the way the raven haired girl ran, though they could not see the faunus anymore.

"Shit, we lost her!" The short brunette stated, throwing her beret on the floor as she paced across the stone path.

Yang closed her eyes as she thought of where her feline companion could've went for shelter. She knew a few places, but the blonde remembered one particular place that she went to whenever she was under a lot of stress, it being the only spot she knew about, and one she shared the location with to her girlfriend.

"Why did she run? She was the one shouting the commands," Coco said in confused frustration. "Did she forget that she didn't have to do the same?"

"I think there was something chewing at her," Yang finally spoke up, picking up the woman's beret as she walked over to her and returned it. "She seemed to be on edge about them ever since that topic came up."

"But why would she just act out of what seemed to be anger then?" Velvet asked.

"There's a tipping point for everyone, I think it just pushed her to attack," The blonde explained, earning quizzical looks from both women. Yang held her hand up as she shook her head. "Don't worry about it too much though. I'll go talk to her, you two girls enjoy the rest of your afternoon."

"Are you sure Yang?" Velvet asked.

"We wanna help her, if we can" Coco offered.

"No, it's alright. I don't think she'll open up if there's too many people to talk to, she just needs someone she can truly feel comfortable with," Yang stated as both nodded. "I appreciate the concern, but I think I'll take it from here."

"Alright, if you say so." Coco agreed.

"We'll be off then; I hope you can resolve whatever it is that's bugging her." Velvet added.

With that, the crosshares couple went back to their dorms, leaving just Yang as she ran towards Beacon's multiple buildings. The blonde didn't know where the faunus lady could've ran off to, but she had a good hunch. And with that, she was off, to Blake's place of safety. One only she and the faunus knew about.

The blonde entered the library, searching around for any traces of black and white around the room of the first floor. When she was certain her girlfriend wasn't there, she moved up a level. She knew the location well, but she had to make sure she wasn't walking right in, in case if Blake had planned ahead to evade her completely. There was no sign of the faunus on the second floor, leaving only the special spot as she walked over to a door. It wasn't a simple doorway, instead, the trim was taken off and the knob was simply a lever. The door was painted over to hide it away from the public, though Blake had found it pretty easily one day. When she told Yang about it, the blonde was amazed by the discovery, deeming it the perfect spot to get away.

And thus, why she was certain Blake was inside.

Yang felt along the door until she found a small sliding piece, revealing the lever to the door. It wasn't the easiest to trigger, as it was snugly placed in there simply to hide it completely. But after fiddling with it for a moment or so, the lever unlocked as the doorway opened up. She pushed it open, finding a decent sized room with a couple of beds at the side, a bookshelf, desks and whatever else. The duo's original reasonable explanation was that it was supposedly the original dormitory for Beacon. But when the second floor was designed, it didn't seem to fit the requirements of the dorms, and thus, the council decided to conceal the doorway and turn the rest into the library that was existed today. The room was rather dusty, due to the lack of residents even knowing of it. Yang closed the secret door as she continued to a set of French white doors at the end of the room, opening to a small balcony with an equal-sized deck. There, in the corner near the doorway sat the fleeing victim, Blake Belladonna. Her feet curled up to her chest as calm, ragged breathing emanated from her.

Yang slowly walked over to the saddened faunus, careful as to not draw attention, though was useless when she saw her exposed cat ears twitch, causing the girl to look up slightly as the two made eye contact. Yang didn't stop there, though, as she sat beside her and wrapped the girl in a warming hug, the brunette in-turn resting her head on the brawler's shoulder.

"Yang, I'm so sorry," Blake started, her voice hoarse from crying. "I didn't mean to."

"Why are you apologizing? You were entitled to punch the idiot too, just as much as Coco and I were."

"It's not rational for me, I believe melee fighting shouldn't be used for violence unless it's the only other option."

"It was the only option left kitty, you forget we asked them to move." Yang said, now starting to stroke her hair.

The blonde cupped the girl's cheek, feeling the moist, warm texture as she turned the raven haired girl's head to her as she looked into her eyes with a calm complexion. "You've been keeping an eye on them ever since we got into the caf," She spoke. Blake's eyes widened slightly, though she knew it was true. "You seemed stressed about something, angered, frustrated. Was it just about the cold glares you and I got, or is it something more?"

The raven haired faunus looked down slowly, trying to hide her face away from her girlfriend. After a moment of silence from both, Yang picked the cat girl up, placing her in her lap as she held onto the girl tightly.

"I'm worried about you Blake," Yang spoke, her voice faltering as tears started to form in her eyes. "I'm worried that you're hiding away from me, like you don't trust me. I've always been here for you, when you were sick, when you needed something, when you wanted company. And I've always been true and honest to you. So why can't you open up to me?"

"I'M TIRED!" Blake shouted, earning a confused look from the blonde. The ebony clad woman stared out to the afternoon sky as she steeled herself.

"I'm tired of fighting. Everywhere I go, I always get bad looks, like I'm some kind of disgusting human being. I've fought since I was young, since the civil battle for faunus rights, pushing through the crowds trying to make a stand. And now, I have to fight two battles, because I am both a faunus _and_ a lesbian, and I'm sick of it. I'm tired of trying to fight an oppression that won't change, a society that won't accept me for neither trait. I-It's suffocating."

Blake's breathing started to quicken as she curled into herself, her pace starting to get faster and faster as she did. Yang clasped onto her tightly as she comforted the woman.

"Calm down, calm down. You're hyperventilating," Yang spoke, coursing Blake's hair gently as her rapid breathing started to slowly decrease. "Take it easy... ssssshhhh…..."

Before long, her heartbeat returned to normal as Yang continued to console the girl. "When team CRDL gave us that look, it felt just like back when I was protesting. When they spoke, it felt like they were mocking us, me, for being gay," Blake spoke, giving a small chuckle afterwards. "It's funny, people always talk about fairness, trying to 'stop bullying' and 'treat each other equally', yet when someone diverse from their beliefs comes into the picture, they're quick to turn their backs away and castrate them."

"That's not always the case Blake, times are changing, and it is getting better-"

"Please, nothing much is changing. There's still discrimination, stereotypes, unfairness. The only difference is tactics," Blake interjected, getting up from Yang as she leaned against the railing. "Just look at the White Fang for example. I was there when it was born. At first, it was a bunch of peaceful protests around capital cities, fighting society with cold, hard facts, fending off people with the truth of our kind. I watched as the picket signs became spears and knives, watched as our protests became bloodbaths, fighting turned from verbal to physical. And yet, there is still no difference in people's perception of faunus. Humans still deem us as hell-bent, evil creatures, and we're still fighting it today."

Silence dawned on the balcony the two shared, a slight breeze rolled through the air as they did. Yang leaned against the railing next to Blake, though looking out at the beautiful scenery behind the large buildings.

"I once thought the same way you did," Yang spoke as Blake looked at her from her peripheral vision. "And no, it wasn't one of those prissy, white-girl statements, the: 'oh my god, nothings going my way, I hate my life' sentence. It was an actual thought, that this world was just… too evil. It made me question the true intents of my life far more than anything else."

Yang paused as another breeze rolled by. The duo noticed two birds flying by, a bigger, more matured one, and a smaller, skinnier one. Both idly floating by the two. "Ruby's mom had died, leaving us with her, and _my_ mom left us, just out of the blue like that. At first, I thought she'd come back, that she'd change her mind and return to us, to me. But after a month of waiting, wishing she'd come home, I gave up on her completely." The brawler spoke as the two birds parted ways, the younger seeming to struggle slightly as it flew away. "Times were lonesome and glum at our place, everything felt depressing. It was like a wave of darkness hid in our house. Because of this, my dad was always out, keeping the grimm at bay all-while trying to cheer us up. But there's only so much a dad can do. I had given up hope on everything, at love, at training, at everything. And I hid myself away."

The blonde looked over to her partner, who was listening attentively to her story. "But I found something that made me worry, something that no one else but me discovered. I was giving up; I was letting myself fall. Most of all, I was accepting the only side that I saw in this world, without seeing what else lied behind the curtains. And that side was destroying everything about me. So I made a leap, a first step. I tried to be more open about life. And when I saw the other things in this world, I kept searching for more, until I could truly say I started recovery."

"Yang, you don't understand, and you never will be able to!" Blake exclaimed, turning to the latter in frustration. "I've always lived my life in battle, in the front lines! There was never a time where we could be free-"

"How do you know?! You've never seen anything else other than a white, human society filled with racist, bigoted assholes! You've never accepted anything else! Here's a thought: if you truly think people absolutely hate faunus, then why did we accept you? Why did JNPR and CVFY befriend you? In fact, if this society is pure racism and discrimination, then why is this school faunus friendly and gay accepting?!"

Blake stood, frozen and speechless at Yang's backlash, a feeling of wanting to curl in pitted deep inside her as she realized that Yang was right. She felt a wave of guilt envelop her as well as an awkward feeling twisting at her gut. The blonde looked at Blake, whom the latter noticed her eyes bore a crimson red. She knew when Yang was downright serious when her eyes flared up, and it was rare to see such a bewildering rage unless she was under serious stress. Blake expected the worst, expected her to just downright slap her, or worse, break-up. The thought stabbed her heart and pulled on the strings as she closed her eyes in defeat. What happened, she did not quite expect to happen, though was very plausible to her. Yang wrapped her in a tight embrace, firmly squeezing her as she rested her cheek on the latter's shoulder.

"Don't get me wrong Blake. There still is corruption in this world, I see it all the time. But we need to be positive if we're to supress such hatred. It's the very reason why I chose to become a huntress, so that I could try and fix humanity, to the best of my abilities."

The blonde pulled away from the faunus' shoulder, resting her forehead against her love's. "You're not alone for this fight. You have Ruby, Weiss, JNPR, monkey boy and that lanky dude Neptune," Yang said, making Blake chuckle a little. "But most of all, you have me, for everything."

The cat girl nodded as she kissed her golden blonde girlfriend, letting her worries and doubts flutter away as she wrapped her arms around Yang. "I love you so much." She whispered in her girlfriend's ear.

" _I love you too._ "

* * *

The blonde waited patiently as she sat sideways on her bike, looking up at the now approaching moon and the stars that were just eager to come out of the faintest of night. She soon heard the sound of high heels clicking as it drew closer and closer to the brawler. The clicking stopped as Yang looked over her shoulder, sheer awe quickly swept her as her mouth dropped, making the person giggle.

"How do I look? Am I 'elegant' enough in your books?" Blake asked, quoting her statement after returning to the dorms about wearing something 'elegant, but relaxed'. And she hit the nail pretty hard on that ball. She wore a simple spaghetti strap, dark purple dress with that transitioned to black and frilled at the bottom, with black lingerie stockings and matching black heels. And the blonde couldn't do anything more than stare at the sexy figure of the cat faunus, who elicited a smirk as she awaited. Yang soon realized she was staring rather intensely at her girlfriend, shaking her head as she returned back to reality and walked around her bike.

"You always looked elegant kitty," The brawler spoke as she wrapped her arms around her date, giving her an everlasting kiss. Once they parted, she grabbed her hand. "Oh, I think you'll really like this restaurant I found, it's faunus friendly and everything, and it's got sushi!"

Blake's cat ears perked at the last sentence, nodding as she let go of her girlfriend, whom looked back at her with a confused look.

"Then I guess I won't need this."

Blake undid her bow as she let her cat ears stretch out of it's soft, silky wrapping. Yang's eyes widened once more as she stared at her now exposed appendages.

"A-are you sure Blake? I mean, I'm totally okay with it, but it's a big leap forward. Are you sure?" The blonde asked, to which Blake simply nodded.

"It's a leap I'm willing to take." Blake replied, as the duo got onto the former's bike.

And drove off into the moonlight.


	28. A Change in Heart

**Goodmooooorning Fanfiction! Hello, welcome back. It's been a fuck-long ass time. I know. I am so, so sorry about the delay. I've been struggling, and struggling, and frustratedly, mind rackingly struggling to come up with a good chapter for you guys. Every piece I made felt and sounded either shit, or too fast a pace for the story, and most of the time, the best of both worlds. I've literally written and deleted about 10 PAGES of work trying to make a decent piece. After fucking over the last 5 pages, I finally said 'fuck it' and took some time to reproach and repeal to the original plot. I HAVE BEEN BUSY though, it's not like I've been sitting around, one finger up my ass and the other up my nose, doing nothing to help my writing (well, a little bit). I'm actually starting a new story (yes, another one). It's a piece with the adult versions of team RWBY and their offspring, basically a future gen story featuring a new cast and new abilities to choose from. I've only got up to the main character's bio's so far, but I can see how it's gonna start and everything. And I've gotta say, not to give myself a biased opinion, but I actually like it. There's gonna be more info once I've fleshed out the characters, but I don't think I'll actually start the story for sometime.**

 **So yeah, there was that. But to add salt to the wound (and what's been mostly fucking me up), me and my fam's just moved to a new house. It's an understatement to say I've been fucking busy, between packing everything and getting my room set up and what-not. I've had little-to-no time to work. And between that, and having to commute about 45 minutes back to the same school and home. I think you get my point.**

 **One last thing I wanted to say. I'm sorry I didn't do a special chapter for Mother's day, or Victoria day. Like I've basically said before, I've been busy, but I just didn't know what to do for said holiday's. What was I supposed to do for mom's day, everyone's parents are either dead, evil, or just have not much plot to make anything decent, exemption of Blake's mom, because she's, literally the only decent mother in this story. And as for Victoria day. Well, I think it's only a Canadian holiday, I think, I dunno. I've been told it's only a Canadian holiday. But yeah. ONE LAST THING before you delve into the story, I wanted to ask ANYONE WHO CAN DRAW a huge favour. I want to give this work at least a personal cover for the story, for those new to the story and for others to see. But the thing is, I can't draw for shit. Like doodle artists would laugh in their piece if they ever saw my drawing skills. I'm not asking for anything fancy, I don't want a Mona Lisa or a Picasso art piece. All I'm asking is to give this story a cover that describes the story. So for any of you that can draw, please, please, hit me up. I would gladly help you anyway I can in return, shout outs, beta, etc.**

 **But anyway, back to the story, enjoy.**

* * *

Weiss was awoken by a soft touch on her face. Opening her eyes slowly, she saw her beautiful girlfriend, Ruby Rose, with her radiating skin tone and heartwarming smile. She cupped the alabaster girl's cheek, rubbing it with her thumb as her smile brightened. "Goodmorning, my snow white angel." The young girl spoke in bliss. Weiss smirked at her as she craned her head behind her, noticing forestry just behind them.

' _When did we go for a walk? I don't recall leaving the dorms_.'

Weiss sat up as she looked around the new environment more thoroughly, finding she wasn't in the forest, she was at the edge of it. The snow white girl noticed they were past the treeline, sitting a few feet from the path in some kind of meadow-ish cliffside. To the left of her, behind Ruby, sat the cliff.

"Ruby, how did we get here? I… don't remember exiting the dormitory." Weiss asked her girlfriend, turning her head to see the young huntress had moved from her spot to the edge of the cliff. The girl's heart started to quicken as she got up instantly and ran over. Ruby turned around just as she was a close distance from her, the redhead's smile resolved into a smirk now as she held her hands to the edge. "Weiss, I want you to meet someone."

Suddenly, a flurry of white rose petals blew all around the spot the young girl was indicating, soon turning into a bright light. When the petals died down, a more matured woman stood in it's wake, wrapped in a white cloak similar to Weiss' lover's. The woman smiled, and Weiss could see a close, if not, exact replica of Ruby's stunning smile, slightly altered by maturity. "This is my mom."

The matured figure bowed slightly in greeting. "It is a delight to meet my daughter's girlfriend." She spoke.

Weiss stood frozen in place in shock and amazement, Ruby noticing this as she signalled her to come closer, to which the girl complied slowly. Mother Rose held her hand out to Weiss, to which she complied as the former stared deep into the white clad's eyes. The white cloaked woman moved her hands to the latter's face as she traced the outline of the scar with one, holding the girl still with the other. Though slightly alarmed, Weiss remained frozen in place as the mother examined her scar more closely, before cupping the heiress' cheeks.

"I can tell you're a keeper, it won't be long before you experience the same as I."

"W…what do you mean by that?" Weiss asked, immobilized from the exotic woman.

"When you come here, you will understand."

Summer then let go of Weiss, backing up slightly as the heiress seemed to move backwards, as if the ground was melting away from the cliff. Suddenly, her rose's mom started cracking and chipping away, glitching occasionally like a broken computer. "Take good care of my sweet little rose, please."

Soon, the rose petals around them started up again as the glitching worsened. And then, in a blink of an eye, the area around them turned to the winter season as the once standing woman was now replaced by a single gravestone. Ruby was kneeling beside it, weeping and sobbing just loud enough for Weiss to hear her.

"No… Oh dear Oum no…" Weiss spoken, her stomach churning as she looked at the grave. Walking up, as her heart corroded slowly and her eyes on the verge of tears, Weiss walked up to the stone tablet that her girl knelt at, finally breaking into tears as two streams coursed down each of her cheeks. "Ruby…"

"This must be just a dream." Ruby spoke, sniffling and sobbing quieter now.

The heiress' heartstrings pulled and frayed as she watched her rose cry. She soon slumped down, wrapping her in the biggest hug she could as she comforted the weeping girl, soon closing her eyes as she pressed her forehead with her love's.

As the duo silently wept.

Weiss awoke instantly, finding herself back in her dorm room with her loving girlfriend's arm draped over her firmly. Soon, her vision started to blur as she thought of her nightmare, no, even worse, her questioning fate, between Ruby and her mom. She turned her head to the resting redhead, taking in her adorable, placid looking face as she slept soundly and happily. A streak went down Weiss' cheek as she shifted to her side, wrapping the unconscious girl in a small hug as she nuzzled against her clavicle. "Please, dear Oum. Don't let this nightmare be true." Weiss begged quietly, holding her dear rose in a firm grip.

"Please be alright."

* * *

Weiss awoke to the sweet scent of roses and strawberries, opening her eyes as she noticed her loving partner and girlfriend, Ruby, nuzzled to her chest as soft snores could be heard from the shorter girl. Weiss smirked as she gently kissed Ruby's forehead, soon remembering the nightmare from last night. She wondered what it all meant, and what her mom's words were trying to accomplish. ' _is this why she's so quiet when her mom's brought up? Why wouldn't she tell me? Is it lack of trust? Is she… is she moving on with me?_ '

Weiss mentally smacked herself as she shook her head. _'Come on Schnee, be reasonable. We've been in a relationship for almost half a year. Perhaps it just brings up too much burden, or she's just not quite ready yet._ ' She thought.

' _I just… have to wait._ '

Upon getting up, Weiss made her way to the washroom as she started her daily routine. She went to the washroom first and splashed some water on her face. Afterwards, she went into the kitchen and started the coffee up, doing hers and her partner's lunch as it brewed. Once finished, her blonde teammate entered and made herself and Blake a cup, leaving one for her white haired teammate. The heiress gave her thanks as she gratefully picked up her cup of coffee, the fresh steam from the brew still lingered as she brought her nose to it, wafting it in before taking the first sip. If there was one thing that made her calmer and more collective, it was coffee. It was the only thing in the world she couldn't live without. Well, that and her little rose. Those two things meant more to her than her entitlement as a Schnee. She simply could not live without the two.

Weiss walked out of the kitchen as she walked back to her bed, placing her mug down on the bookshelf as she sat down on the edge of the bed. She lowered down and placed a soft kiss on the unconscious redhead's cheek. The young huntress begun to stir as she slowly and groggily opened one eye, looking up to see her white haired girlfriend as her mouth formed a dopey smile. "Goodmorning sunshine," Weiss greeted as Ruby let out a yawn, followed with a large stretch as she sat up. "How are you feeling?"

"Morning Weiss, I'm feeling great today." Ruby greeted back as they gave one-another a kiss. After examining the girl and coming up with a sign of relief. The duo got out from the bed as the redhead went over to the bathroom. Weiss straightened up the bed in the meantime as she downed the rest of her coffee. Once Ruby was done, she grabbed her academy garments and made her way back into the bathroom. She started up the showers as she stripped out of her pyjamas, inspecting herself to find that her chest seemed more refined than before. With a smirk and a content nod, she finally went into the shower.

The nightmare echoed throughout the white haired girl's mind as she washed herself, and continued to as the morning went on. It boggled her that something so grim, so horrific, could've happened to Ruby's mother and she still played a bright and cheerful attitude. Had it happened to Weiss' mom, she wouldn't mind, she'd actually encourage it. But to someone so innocent and sincere? It made her question why god would even think of such a cruel fate.

First class had finally started as Weiss opened her binder and notebook, Ruby doing the same, Blake already had her stuff out, and Yang pulling out a small pillow as she plunked her head down on it. Weiss sighed, wondering how the brute was still passing the class, all she did in it was sleep, shoot spitballs at other troublesome classmates, gossip, and… well, sleep. She did a lot of sleeping in that class in particular. It astounded her that Ruby was even related to her, one was quiet, reserved, looking at the right and wrong of things. Yang was the polar opposite of her. Loud (as fuck), belligerent, opting to come up with solutions through her fists before her words. Which made slight sense to Weiss, given how most of her sentences were just puns and cheap remarks. The one thing that did make sense to her, though, was her relationship with Blake. They were an inseparable duo, balancing out each other's flaws while working together in almost perfect harmony. Yang's brusque nature could be quelled and controlled by Blake's calm and collective one, and has been seen to work countless times on her through different scenarios. Though the faunus sometimes would let her be at times when it was most appropriate. "It's all about _compromise_ ," Blake said one day, when Ruby approached her about it. "I can tame Yang when I need, but I don't want her to feel she doesn't have a say. I like that she's rather physical when dealing with situations, it brings a second opinion when dealing with things, especially on the battlefield."

It amazed Weiss how well they worked together. She had thought the brute would be insufferable to Blake, making plans to switch up with the raven haired girl, should she petition for change. But her assumptions were flushed away once she saw them fight in pairs. In fact, it astounded her how well they performed. They weren't as good as Weiss and her girlfriend/partner, but they were a close second on the charts. And to be quite frank (And the heiress would take this statement to the grave with her), She actually envied their cooperation. She loved her partner, but their collaborative attacks weren't half as good as the bumblebee duo's. The heiress mainly used her glyph semblance to either shoot, assist, or block Ruby, while the latter would use her massive, overpowering weapon to attack. Whilst Blake used her kusarigama/katana to do practically anything and everything: bungee, rope, attack, deflect. The list would go on. Nevertheless, she liked her team, and even more, her partner and leader. Despite the amount of issues they had working together.

Weiss came out of her musings as she felt her sleeve being tugged, craning her head around to find Ruby pulling it. "Is something the matter? You've been staring at them for awhile now." Ruby said, looking at the bumblebee duo rather questioningly, looking for some sort of flaw. The heiress started to heat up as her face burned.

"W-what. No no, just, daydreaming," Weiss replied. "But I digress, would you like to go into Vale for lunch today? It seems like the perfect day for lunch out in the town."

"Okay! But uhm, could we maybe…"

"And quite possibly go to the bakery when we come back." The heiress continued.

The little redhead's eyes sparked as her hands shot up. "YAAA-mmf~!"

Weiss muffled the redhead's outburst with her hand as she held her finger to her mouth. "Sssshhhhh! We're still in class!" she whispered sharply.

"Oh, sorry," Ruby whispered back once the white haired girl removed her hand. "yaaay."

The heiress sighed as she looked around the room, once affirming nobody was staring, and gave the girl a surprise kiss. The cookie crusader let out a feint noise of shock, but mellowed out shortly after. Once they parted, the duo returned to the assignment at hand as they waited for the bell for lunch.

* * *

The sound of tapping could be heard in a little section of the airbus as the White Rose couple tapped their feet to the rhythm of the rock song on Ruby's scroll, which Weiss actually enjoyed. The heiress didn't like music, mainly being because it was mostly classical and chamber music she had grown up with. But her mind exploded with excitement when Ruby introduced her to classic and modern rock, hip-hop, rap and pop. From the worldwide hits to the more localized artists Ruby grown up listening to in her hometown. This artist in particular happened to be both Weiss' and her girlfriend's favourite artist, Jeff Williams.

Weiss hummed the song in a pitch higher than the singer's as her foot continued to tap to the beat alongside her partner's, head's resting on one-another's as their opposite hand's intertwined. The heiress enjoyed the little moments in public where they could still be close. After coming to a conclusion about her stupid fear in public, she decided to push her own worries behind and focus on what truly mattered the most. Of course, her doubts still prevailed, sometimes at the most unexpected of times. But she kept assuring herself that the first steps to her new goals were overcoming her most troublesome fears, and her first and most liberating one yet, was being affectionate with Ruby in public. Not pushing the boundaries, 'get a fricken room, ya horny pansies' affectionate, but more so, frankly noticeable affection. It felt devious to the heiress, though, like little schoolgirls trying not to get caught. The only difference; there was no force or authority telling them they could not, prying them away from each other, they were in control of how close they wanted to be with one another, no matter what society had to say.

The couple decided to go to one of Ruby's favourite café's in town, which Weiss remembered quite well (slightly better than Ruby) was the place they had come for their special French breakfast that one day, and snowed like hell. To Weiss, it felt like a bad omen, coming back after the accident. The only true reason she went was because Ruby badly wanted to go there for lunch, due to it being also close to a comic book store and the redhead pulling her best argument winning face, which was getting trickier and trickier to beat due to her honing it. And so, Weiss took extra precautions to make sure nothing bad would happen. She ordered first, and asked what they still had in stock, luckily only being a few things that neither of them liked. Weiss got her usual lunch array, and the coffee special of the day. Next was Ruby, and the former's nerves were starting to bunch up along her neck. The cloaked girl ordered her food with her usual happy complexion, and got just a water, making the ivory teen's nerves settle down once the waitress nodded and went back to the kitchen to give the employee's the order slip.

"Are you okay Weiss? You seem stressed." Ruby asked concernedly. Weiss gave a nonchalant nod in answer.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just hoping nothing bad happens." Weiss replied, making Ruby worry more.

"You sound like you're waiting for something to happen." Ruby stated as she looked around the room timidly.

"No, no. That's not what I meant," Weiss spoke, making the latter look back with slight relief. "I'm just concerned for you. That's all."

Ruby blushed lightly as she giggled. "Weiss, I appreciate you looking out for me, but I'm completely fine. I don't see any reason to be on guard in a small café, it's not like anyone's hitting on me. We're here for food and drink, not fighting."

"Don't you remember what happened here? Back in the summer?"

Ruby's face tightened as she tried to think, finally coming back with a sigh. "Not really, we've been here before, if that's what you mean."

Weiss felt half relieved, half concerned about her partner. Obviously it didn't faze her, but to blatantly not remember any events that happened worried Weiss. The worst part was she wasn't sure whether she was just moving on with the incident that occurred -playing it off like it never happened- or she was completely oblivious to the fact that she had a concussion and was rushed to the hospital, which made her remember that night in the hospital bedroom where they first had sex. A darkened look grew in the heiress' eyes as the thought formed in her mind: her love was broken, and no memories were ever going to stay in her mind.

"Don't you remember that day though? It snowed like hell, and once we got inside, they were out of French toast that you so desperately wanted. You cracked your head open on the other side of the curb, when you stepped up on it?" Weiss explained. "Don't you remember any of that?!"

"I-I did?!" Ruby replied in a flabbergasted tone. The white haired girl nodded as a thin stream rolled down the heiress' right eye. Ruby quickly noticed, grabbing her hand and wiping the tear away with the other. "Hey, don't cry. I-I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories when I wanted to come here, I just thought-"

"You were rushed to the hospital; you woke up a day later. You don't remember any of it?"

"A little bit, it's kinda foggy," Ruby replied sheepishly, placing both hands on the heiress'. "We can leave if this place bothers you."

"No, no. It's fine," Weiss replied.

Though the ivory haired teen claimed it to be fine, her complexion didn't change the rest of the meal as the food and beverages finally arrived shortly after. The redhead changed the subject as to try and alleviate the tension she could feel with being there with her girlfriend, which seemed to lighten the mood, but the white haired teen's face remained a darkened, placid look. The duo finished the meal as Ruby paid for it –albeit, persuading Weiss to let her pay it- and made their way to the doors. The young huntress got ahead as she held it open for her white haired partner, giving her a comforting smirk as the latter returned the look before returning back to her straightened, emotionless face.

The attitude came with the sullen look as she seemed to speak with a slight droop to her tone. Everything she said sounded empty, devoid of expression or emotion. It was starting to drive the redhead crazy with the burden. She finally had enough when they were a few blocks away from the bakery, pulling her alabaster girl over to a secluded alleyway.

"Okay, what the heck's wrong? Is it something I said or did?" Ruby finally said in a stern tone.

"W..what do you-"

"You damn well know what I am talking about. Ever since we went to that café I liked, you've been down and glum. I tried to get you to let up that beautiful smile you always have when you're with me, but everything I do is shot with an emotionless response. So obviously something's bugging you that you won't tell me."

"It's nothing Ruby. I just know you probably forgotten a lot of things we've done, what we've been through. It just, doesn't seem to bother you as much as it does for me."

"Is this still about the café incident? I don't remember that bit, but I could never forget that night in the hospital. We had sex for the very first time there, for crying out loud," Ruby spoke, earning a skeptical look from the white haired girl. "I don't remember everything Weiss, I can't remember everything. Between my medication and the injuries I've suffered and even my role as a leader, it makes it hard to remember certain things in my life. I remember special things in my life, though. Like when we first got together, that night in the hospital, even parts of that time back in Emerald forest when I pushed you out of the way of a falling tree."

The younger huntress palmed Weiss' cheeks, assuaging the girl as she stood level with her. She placed a calm, compassionate kiss on the latter's lips, letting it continue for a moment before parting. "It bugs me as much as it does you. I hate it, I'm worried it'll get worse and worse as I get older. But don't think my forgetfulness is on purpose Weiss, things just slip my mind sometimes. No matter what, I will always remember everything we've been through, and I will always love you."

* * *

Things started to feel better after the duo got their treats and went back to school. Weiss and Ruby partnered up for doubles sparring against Pyrrha and Jaune in their combat class, and astonishingly, won the round. The duo talked for what seemed like hours, letting time roll by freely in the background as they laughed and giggled about whatever topic came up. The everlasting day seemed to get better once they got to their floor of the dormitory nearing their room, as Ruby grabbed the heiress' ass. Not forcibly, like the other players that occasionally grabbed her behind, feigning an accidental remark or a cheesy pickup line that did nothing but make the ivory teen cringe. Instead, it was rather invitingly. Her look matched her prompt as she had a rather seductive face on her that told Weiss what she wanted. Her.

"Wait, Ruby. I would love to, but what about Yang and Blake?" Weiss stated, her body heating up slowly as Ruby continued to massage her leg.

"Yang's down at the gym, she's practicing for the Vytal festival," Ruby replied, wrapping her other arm around the heiress as she begun massaging the other leg too. "As for Blake, she's reading one of her smut books in the corner of the library –don't ask how I know that- so we have the room all to ourselves for as long as we _like_."

Something amazed Weiss that she never would have guessed would come with Ruby: She was as seductive as Yang was with Blake, the only difference being she could turn it off with ease. Whereas Yang must've forgotten how to turn it off, or just lost all common courtesy. As quickly as it started, it ended as the redhead gently guided the heiress into the room, giving Weiss a kiss before stripping off her clothes. "Hold on Ruby, get into something more comfortable. I've got to go to the levorotary," Weiss spoke as she closed the door behind her. "and check the mail."

Ruby gave a patient nod as she continued to remove her clothing, making Weiss pause before she realized she was staring and remembered what she had to do. She relieved herself as she washed up and left the bathroom a moment later, finding Ruby sitting on her bed playing some game on her scroll. Weiss went to the door to go get the mail, but found it sitting already on one of the desks beside said door. She picked up the small pile, finding different ads and other useless envelopes in the bunch, until she stumbled across one with her name on it, the return address from Atlas' prison. It made Weiss' breath hitch as she read the address on the envelope, making her drop the bundle altogether on the floor.

"You okay Weiss?" Ruby asked, looking up from her screen.

"I…it's a letter," Weiss spoke softly. "from Sn... my mom."

"Really?" Ruby said with slight interest, throwing her scroll on the pillow as she crawled over to the edge of the bed, hanging over the side. "Are you gonna open it?"

"I… I don't know if I should."

"Well, do you want me to open it? Read it to you?" Ruby offered. Weiss stood still a minute before finally shaking her head in response.

"It's just a letter," She spoke aloud to herself. "it won't hurt me."

The heiress picked up the letter, turning to the side as she tore open the seal and removed the paper from it. The letter was rather wrinkled, assumedly from taking and putting it back in a pocket. The front of the letter had Weiss' name in the formal, neat writing her mother did. She felt her stomach clench as she held the paper in her hands, afraid of what it might say. Probably cursing her for what she did, calling her discriminating, bigoted names and telling her to burn in hell with the rest of the queers. She knew though she'd have to face hateful remarks when she came out in the open about her relationship. And so, with a steeling breath, she unfolded the page and straightened it out as she started at the top of the page. But what she read was unexpectedly not bigoted or hateful at all, not even the slightest bit rude. What she read seemed more like a confession, the truth to her daughter that she so deserved from her mother.

 _Dear Weiss,_

 _If you're reading this now, it means it's been a couple weeks in the penitentiary, and is the last time I will be able to contact you. I wanted to speak to you about this in person, but I know I have lost that privilege awhile ago, and I must say I am quite surprised if you've read this far. You probably don't want to see me, and that is fine, I completely understand. But there's some things I want to get off my chest, off my soul. Things I should've said a long time ago, when I was still able to be your mother._

 _I never meant to hurt you, Weiss. I know this seems absurd, seeing as I've always pushed you to the breaking point. But my truest intent was never to hurt you. I just, couldn't find any other way of moving you other than what I had learned growing into the Schnee company business. They taught us to drive people, manipulate them when they did not cooperate, and my second biggest regret was using that same tactic on you. I saw flaws in you whenever you fought, but I have come to realize now that it wasn't errors or problems that I saw, it was purely your style, to put it into simpler terms: You were being you. I drove you to the brink of death, trying to rid the error that only I saw, and when I could not, I shunned you away. And I will never forgive myself for that._

 _I know this seems even more blasphemous then the last paragraph, but I enjoyed seeing you grow up. Believe it or not, you were the only thing that I looked forward to whenever I worked. I wanted to give you the life I could never have. I wanted to become a huntress once, but my father would not allow it. He told me that if I ever set foot on academy soil, he would disown me in an instant. I went into business instead, and there I met your father. But when I had you and your sister, I forced you two to become what I could not. I should've listened to you, when you wanted to become a singer or a pianist or even a doctor, I should've accepted that. My actions drove you two away from me, the only things I had in life, and I pushed you away, forced my opinion on you. And when you could not live to my implausible standards, castrated you. After your father and I divorced, I felt I did not deserve you. After all that happened, after all I done, I wanted you two to live with your father. To try and live a better, more civilized life. I watched, from the sidelines, you two grow up to be fine, young women. Your father still sent pictures of the academy photo's. I have one put up on the mirror of my bunk, and will be the last thing I look at and remember tonight as I go to sleep._

 _There's something I have to say to you. Something I should've said so long ago when I was still your mom. I want you to know, remember and hold with you. I am so, so proud of you. It astounds me the leaps you've gone to becoming a huntress, and even more, a Schnee. You are the figure of pride in our family. Also, I am so, so sorry for what I done to you, and to Ruby. I just, didn't know how to react, had never even assumed you were gay. I took to my only instinct and frayed the last bond between us. I was so caught up in the moment that I hadn't even realized what I had done until I was in the cell. So please, don't EVER think I don't accept you two. You are my daughter, after all. And so long as you're happy, I will be._

 _I'm not asking for your forgiveness, Weiss. I've lost that right a long, long time ago. I'm not asking for anything of you. You are perfect, just the way you are. But please know that no matter what you do, no matter who you love, no matter what you become, just know that I will_ _ **always**_ _love you, have always loved you since the day you were born. I know I haven't shown you that, and the biggest regret in my life was not being a mother to you, to both of you. The only thing I ask of you is to be the mom I could not, be everything I wasn't. And no matter what, assure them that they are always loved. Cherish them as much as you can, because they grow up so fast._

 _You make me so happy. I love you. My precious, little snowflake. And I always will._

 _Snow_.

Weiss was more than dumbstruck, far greater than it. Her thoughts rung throughout her mind in a rapid swish, like a toilet flushing. Her memories started to flood in too, and a light of understanding dawned inside of her. Not a minute later, her scroll started going off in her pocket. She pulled it out of her pockets expressionlessly, standing still as she lifted it to her ear. "Hello?"

The person on the other end of the call greeted her, Weiss recognizing her father's voice as she returned the greeting emotionlessly. His voice sounded dark, saddened slightly. When he finally explained why he called the letter made sense, and Weiss finally realized the meaning of Summer's warning. "…Oh," Weiss replied sullenly. "ok. I'll see you soon."

And with that, Weiss hung up. Her scroll slipped out of her grip purposefully as she stared straight at the wall in front of her. "W..Weiss, what's wrong?" Ruby asked worriedly, walking over to her quickly as she grabbed the heiress' shoulders.

"… _My mom died…"_


	29. Special Chapter(Canada Day, 4th of July)

**Hello! Welcome back guys. I know, it's been awhile. But I have been keeping busy! I haven't forgotten about the special chapter either, as you can see. So no, I didn't die, I've just been very busy. I had culminating projects up to my ass this whole month, and then exams started. But it was my last exam of high school. As of now, I am officially graduated. My plans for the future? Ehh… I don't know. As far as I DO know, I will be going to college, for building engineering most likely. And I'll most likely be working soon too. So yeah. I like to plan things one step at a time, as I am not well with stress. But yeah, in case that 1% of you are still reading this.**

 **I am urging readers to PLEASE READ THE** **HEADLINES. ****I can't stress this enough. I know I've said this at least a dozen times, and I know I ramble a lot. But there are things I'd like you readers to know, and respond to. I know how annoying these can be, so ALL I ASK IS YOU READ THE** **HEADLINES**

 **FANART:** **Okay, I asked this last chapter, and NOBODY replied to it, mentioned it, even thought of it. SO second times the charm; I am looking for fanart. Er, someone who can at least draw some cover art for this story. That's all I'm asking. I'm not looking for anything fancy, I don't wanna Picasso or a Mona Lisa, I just need something to represent this story. SO, if you, or someone you know can draw fanart, I'd be willing to give a shout out or beta, whatever needed. We can negotiate.**

 **BOA CHAPTER:** **Not much to say here, just that we do have the chapter done, we're tweaking it and stuff, but like I said, I've been busy, Topaz's been busy. So yeah, that didn't die either, like I said, it's just a hiatus.**

 **So yeah, that's the last of what I had to say. To all those who read the headlines at least, thank you. And enjoy**

* * *

The Weekend was almost near. One which even the heiress was excited for. It was the Canada day/Independence day weekend, and the start to the summer break. Weiss remembered last year's trip. Well, she remembered the day at least. After dusk rolled by, it became a haze of fireworks, smoke, and lots of snacks. She must've gained 20 pounds that trip, and she spent the next weekend burning it off in the gym. This year was gonna be different, though. Instead of going to the lake, the team decided to go to Vale's Wonderland. Seeing as it was cheaper than buying tickets to Patch, and closer to where they were. They all agreed to it, and decided to stay an extra week during their time off on Christmas holidays.

The only problem was the time at which they'd have to get up.

They went to bed at an early time, as to compensate for the time it'd take to commute to downtown Vale. But no matter how early they'd have to get up, it didn't change the fact that Ruby was NOT an early riser. It didn't help that she was on medication that made her sleepy, nor did the tiring exercise that they went through prior to the weekend help. So the group knew they'd have to carry her into the car, even with the commotion with getting ready and getting out the door at the estimated time. Weiss gently placed her unconscious girlfriend into the rental car they ordered, making sure that nobody saw as to not raise any misunderstandings. The other duo put their team's small bags into the trunk in the meantime, making sure they had everything before they left. It was really early. Not even Weiss would get up this early, as she lazily got into the vehicle the opposite side of the redhead, letting out a loud yawn that startled even the sleeping huntress beside her. The bumblebee duo got into the front seats, with Yang driving and the latter in the passenger. Blake still looked tired, as she laid back in her seat. The only one who looked ready, even at the ass-crack of dawn, was Yang. She seemed to be awake and energized, which was both assuring, and surprising. But when Weiss thought about it, Yang had to have been to at least half a dozen parties, even before going to Vale. Her ability to function with the smallest of shut-eye must've been mastered by now.

The car hummed to life as Yang adjusted her mirrors and cranked the air to just the right temp. Just warm enough to lull the sleeping team while having the window down a bit to allow a steady breeze in. Yang put the vehicle in drive, and the car pulled forward as she turned to the exit of the parking lot. Weiss began to doze off, her arms around Ruby as much as her seatbelt would allow as she began to lose focus. She closed her eyes, and let the warm climate and small vibrations lull her to sleep nestled to Ruby.

Weiss started to stir as she felt a couple of bumps. She tried to flip over, finding something restricting her movement as she awoke. She soon remembered they were still in the car, the sky was a saturated colour of pink and yellow. The earliest rays of sunshine dawning over the horizon behind them, illuminating the car. Weiss turned her head. Yang was still driving, taking a swig of coffee every now and again as the small breeze made her hair flap. She turned further. Ruby had rested her head on the window, small snores escaped her mouth as she continued to sleep, still holding onto the heiress' hand. She finally looked to the passenger side. Blake was sleeping as well, head tilted slightly on the headrest. Weiss finally looked out her side of the window, they were on the highway, driving past big skyscrapers and bustling buildings. Despite how early it was, the sidewalks were filled with people, going every direction.

"Goodmornin' princess." Yang spoke softly, making the white haired girl jump slightly as she turned back to the driver.

"Morning Yang," Weiss replied. "How long have we been commuting?"

"About 3 hours, give or take." Yang responded. Making the teen's eyes widen.

"Are you serious?!" Weiss almost shouted, muffling her voice as best she could.

"Yep. You've been asleep for the ride to Vale, both checkpoints in, a fucker who cut me off, and a pleasant sunrise just over the horizon."

"Jesus. How long until we get there?" Weiss asked. Yang hummed in thought.

"About two or three more hours. Plus the pit stop for gas and food in a half hour."

Yang pulled off the highway as she came up to the gas station, just as planned. Weiss got out and stretched out as she let out a yawn. Blake got out of the car next. She repeated Weiss' motions as she looked around the area. There was a small plaza in the gas station, with various different shops. Weiss woke Ruby up as the duo looked around the plaza, coming up to a restaurant as they went in for breakfast.

* * *

 _3 Hours Later…_

"We're here!"

The group was all staring out the windows as the blonde drove into the semi-full parking lot. The roller coasters and other amusement rides towered in the sky, cascading into the clouds. A couple of rides were going as the echoes of screams and cheers could be heard throughout the park. Yang pulled into the closest parking spot as everyone grabbed their things and exited. Once the team reunited, they all started walking toward the entrance to the park. The lineups were fairly large, with families and groups of all kinds. It amazed both Weiss and Blake at how diverse it was, seeing both human and faunus families was something new to the duo, while the sisters had grown up seeing such. They got into the shortest line as they all checked their belongings.

"Alright, here are the tickets," Yang spoke, holding out an envelope with a wonderland themed stamp on it. She pulled out four tickets as she carefully read over them. "Weiss, Ruby, aaand Blakey."

Each team member grabbed their card as the blonde distributed them, before taking her own. They emptied their pockets as they went through the metal detector, once cleared they gave their tickets to the employee and made their way in.

Weiss rendezvoused with Ruby once she got through. The bumblebee duo joined shortly after as they all walked to the enormous fountain that lead up to an even bigger, man-made mountain with a waterfall. The team all gasped in dumbfounded awe as the fountain sprayed in all different directions, looking at the multiple different buildings and attractions displayed in a town-like fashion.

"Hey! Would you like your pictures taken?" someone spoke from behind the awestruck team. They all turned to see a man with an employee uniform on, holding a rather expensive looking camera that wrapped around his neck. Ruby's eyes sparkled in glee as she nodded enthusiastically.

"Oh, yeah! Yes please!" The younger huntress exclaimed as she started posing. "How's this, or maybe this? How bout this…"

"He means with all of us, you dolt!" Weiss retorted.

"Oh, right," Ruby replied, grabbing the heiress. "okay, how about this?"

The group all gathered together and they smiled. The camera clicked a bunch of times as they did a couple different poses, afterwards giving them a small ticket with a scanning sticker on it. The team thanked the man as they went further into the amusement park. "Okay. So group vote: you guys wanna split up, go have our own fun and regroup here for lunch, or we all stick together?"

"I think we should split up," Blake responded. "That way we both have fun exclusively with our girlfriends for the day."

"I say we stay together," Ruby spoke next. "Team bonding time is scarce, especially for our own leisure. We've been too busy with missions to really enjoy being friends."

"Well, let's take a vote." Yang interjected.

"Our opinions would be biased towards our companions," Weiss rebuked. "Obviously we'll just end up picking our girlfriend's side."

"Do you have any suggestions?" Blake spoke. Weiss pondered for a brief moment before coming up with an idea.  
"I think so," The white haired teen replied. "Since we're both half-and-half here, how about we do both: We go on rides and whatever else as a team for the first half, then after lunch we go do more couple-related rides with our partners."

"I like that idea." Yang agreed, giving a thumbs up to harden her point.

"Agreed." Blake added.

The group pressed on into the amusement park, walking in formation with the small flow of traffic of people going the same direction. They made it to the rides and booths that sprawled the area as the duo looked around, soon finding the first ride of the day. It was a roller coaster, or a _deathtrap on tracks_ , as Weiss would call it (though she didn't say anything, as her other half wanted to try one with Ruby). The amount of loops on it was enough to make Blake dizzy just by looking at it. The name added to the team's edginess; _WARP SP33D_ hung right above the entrance to the lineup that was fairly packed. Weiss and Blake were both nervous as two cats near water. The duo watched as the coaster flew down the tracks at speeds they thought were hazardous. They were huntresses in training, they fought inhuman opponents like they were mere pests, yet the sight of a safety approved ride made them almost piss themselves, though the faunus had a little better reason to be. She had been on a train that derailed once. It didn't scar her for life, but it was enough to make her aware of the dangers, and it probably didn't help she'd seen one-too-many YouTube videos of roller coasters that had safety bars break in the middle of the ride.

It was a little assuring to Blake and Weiss that the lineup to get onto the ride was fairly big. Multiple groups all waited in-line before the docking area where they loaded them up. Both sisters could see their girlfriend's nervousness. Though they didn't have much to fear of themselves, both had been on roller coasters since they were tall enough to. They knew the procedures and the amount of safety put into them. They had been in an accident once on a coaster. They sat on the ride for half an hour all because of a faulty control switch that was sticking. The duo wasn't even scared, they just sat in the hard plastic seats for a little longer than usual. But they understood the duo's fear as they had once been new to the fast rides. "Are you sure you guys wanna do this?" Yang asked the duo.

"You don't have to go on this one first, we can try something a little less extreme." Ruby added.

Weiss shook her head. "No no. It's just a large, mechanical, ride that goes… about eighty kilometers… an hour."

Blake could hear the deflation in the heiress' words, trying to boost her confidence. "It's just a ride, it won't kill us."

"Are you sure? This is the fastest ride in this park. Ruby and I are experienced riders, we've been on these before, and even we're a little anxious."

Weiss stood as tall as she could, trying her best to look brave, more-so looking stoic. "Well, then it's a first for all of us."

The lineup moved up before the duo could argue, stopping at the stairs to the ride. The team all knew if they had any last objections, they'd have to do so now. They could hear the people climbing into the coasters as they laughed and said their prayers. The ride hummed to life as it moved up the tracks in a chilling _clunk clunk clunk_ sound. The group watched as the other roller coaster sped into the loading dock, stopping at a grinding halt as the ride aligned. "Last chance." Yang said, earning a stoic stance from the duo. The gate up the stairs opened as the group walked up it, coming to the sheltered loading area. A stalky man with a company uniform and a deer tail sticking out motioned the group to the front of the coaster. The girls entered the first two rows as they buckled their seatbelts. Once the ride was in full capacity, the gates closed at the entrance of the ride as the safety bar finally lowered down, entrapping everyone snugly in the seats.

"Wrap your right arm around me." Ruby told.

"What, w-why?" Weiss asked, her eyes clearly hinting at fear.

"So you feel safe," Ruby replied. "Yang did this with me on my first ride, trust me."

"Don't worry, Ruby. I think I can handle this."

The car started moving, before she had time to retort.

 _CLUNK…CLUNK…CLUNK_

The ride was a lot louder, now that they were inside it. It made Weiss' nerves bunch up on her, but she kept her best brave face on, and was going good.

…Until it picked up some speed.

 _CLUNK CLUNK CLUNK_

The heiress was starting to sweat now, her stomach clenching as she thanked the lord Oum she didn't eat before going on it. She started mumbling words of holiness as it continued up the steep incline.

 _CLUNKCLUNKCLUNKCLUNK!_

Weiss closed her eyes as she awaited, as the ride came to the very top of the drop. And then… nothing. Weiss opened her eyes again as the car sat still on the peak. "Wait, is that it?" She commented. Ruby simply let out a snicker.

"Wait for it."

As soon as she said that, the car slowly, ever-slowly, moved up the line. Suddenly, the car was pointing downward as it ran down the tracks at an incredible speed. Weiss was flushed with the amount of G-forces through her. As fast as the ride started, she latched onto her smaller redhead, holding onto her with all her might as they were both sent shuttling through the course. They went up, did a double loop before plummeting down again and twisting around in a horizontal loop. It then went straight forward, slowing down dramatically as the duo panted like dogs.

"Finally… it's… over…" Weiss gasped, loosening her hold on Ruby.

"Not quite." Ruby breathed. Weiss looked straight at Ruby.

 _CLINK_

The car pointed downward as it rushed down the slope. Weiss screamed as she reattached herself onto Ruby. The ride went left and right, up, down, sideways and spirals. And the whole time, Weiss kept pleading to get off, let it be over. As if her prayer was heard, the ride finally came rushed back into the loading bay, stopping with a screeching halt as the group all panted. The bar retracted upwards, and the team all unbuckled their seatbelts as they got off the ride. Blake still clung to her girlfriend, looking like she was about to scratch-and-bolt down the exit ramp. As for Weiss. To Ruby's surprise, she was even paler than before. The redhead half expected her to sprout angel wings and fly out of the park into the heavens. She carefully led her down the ramp, using the railings as supports for Weiss. When they finally got off the ramp back into the park she guided her to the nearest bench, sitting her down as the heiress regained blood flow to her brain.

"You okay?" Ruby finally spoke. Weiss sat still, breathing raggedly before she finally took a deep breath.

"That… was… AMAZING!"

"Well you were the one who wait-what?" Ruby asked, dumbfounded as to whether she heard her right, and/or if she had some sort of brain damage.

"That was exhilarating, I've never felt so alive! Let's go again. This time, I won't hold onto you!" Weiss spoke, pointing back to the lineup as she tugged at the redhead's cape.

"Last I checked, you were chanting 'JESUS IS MY SHIELD!' as we went flying around the loops, and now, you wanna go again?!"

"That was just pre-nervous jitters. After the first wave, I felt great, like I was invincible!"

"Yeah, we might need to bring you to the medic tent, check and see what fuses you've blown in that white head of yours." Ruby spoke, getting up as she grabbed the alabaster girl's hand.

"I'm fine Ruby, I'm actually better than I've felt before," Weiss spoke. Earning a skeptical look from the latter. "And if I'm being honest… that last ride made me a little horny."

The redhead's eyes widened before a heat started to rise inside her. Her cheeks flushed as something clicked inside her. Yang and Blake approached as the duo stared at each other. "Hey guys, Blakey said she's up for another ride."

"GREATLETSGO!"

* * *

The group went to Tim's for lunch, after going on at least a dozen more different roller coasters, all with the same concept name (Time Stopper, Matrix, Light Speed, I think you get the point), a few pendulum style rides, and at least 5 different rotor style rides. They went to a table with their food and drink as the duo regained their edge after all the constant motion.

"Jesus, I started getting a headache after that last roller coaster," Weiss spoke, slurping her iced latte. "Now it's enveloped my head."

"Here." Yang spoke, giving the heiress an Ibuprofen. The white haired teen thanked the blonde as she washed it down with her drink.

"So, now what?" Blake asked.

"Well, there's a couple of rides-"

"No," Weiss interrupted her girlfriend mid-sentence. "My head feels like a bag of bricks landed on it, I'm not going on another fast-motion ride."

"No no. Sorry, I meant to say there are couples rides to the west of here. There's also some shows and other games there too."

"Okay, so we'll all walk over there and go have some fun with our girlfriends," Blake added, "sounds grand to me."

"I agree." Weiss spoke.

"Okay, we have…" Yang stopped to look at her scroll, "about 4 hours to go play with our GF's. At 5 o' clock we'll regroup back at the front gates in front of the entrance. Understood?"

"Copy, 0500, grab G.F. and high tail it to extraction. Yes, ma'am!" Ruby said as she saluted. Weiss smirked as the rest just sighed.

After lunch, the group walked over to the western side of Vale's Wonderland. The two couples split up at the epicenter as they both went opposite ways, Ruby dragged Weiss along as they scanned the different game booths that lined the way. There was a multitude of them, all with unique prizes to be won. To Weiss' surprise, Ruby wasn't begging for every prize on display, something she had expected her TO do. And after a moment of browsing the different stands, she finally had to pop the question.

"Is there anything that interests you?" Weiss asked, earning a rather blunt and straightforward 'no'

"I've been to a few carnivals before, and I've won basically every giant toy that's displayed here."

The red caped crusader stopped suddenly, making Weiss halt sporadically as she retraced back a couple steps. "Except for that one." She spoke, pointing to a large game booth that sat right in the middle of all of the rest. The lighting was more vigorous, as waves of colour danced along the trim. The sign read ' _SKEE-BALL'_ in an identical colour scheme to the display. "I've played at least a dozen games of skee-ball, I've only been able to win that goddamned purple monkey," The redhead spoke, cursing the small violet coloured monkey. "But no-more! I will win that giant panda EVEN IF IT'S THE LAST GAME I PLAY!"

Weiss imagined a crowd applauding and cheering as Ruby stood triumphantly at the game. The employee at the game stood next to the game, a wide grin stretched across his face as if he knew he'd suck the bills off Weiss' little rose. A feeling of irritation grew in the heiress as she placed her hand on Ruby's shoulder.

"Let me win this for you."

"Hold on Weiss. I know your brave face, let me try and win this one," Ruby returned, giving her an assuring nod. "I wanna beat this thing once and for all."

Her little caped girlfriend handed the man a 5 lien bill as she grabbed the first ball. She sized up the metal skee-ball as she bounced it on her palm a couple times. She then proceeded to the game itself, looking around the electrifying lighting that was the scoreboard. She backed up a few steps, arched the ball back and ran forth with it, swinging her arm as the ball was sent flying across the lane. It hit the ramp as the ball went up, going to the right as it just hit the 100 pocket, bouncing off as it rolled into the bottom pocket. Weiss mentally cringed as she watched it roll down into the pocket, though her redhead was determined to win. She grabbed the next ball, looked around again as she tried to refine her trajectory. The next ball flew into the 10 pocket with ease. Better, but not the best. She grabbed her last ball, this time, she closed an eye as she examined the ramp and the laneway. After a closer inspection, she finally lined up the shot. She swung back, ran forward and with a graceful swing, shot the ball down the lane. It was a perfect shot, and Weiss could tell that it would go straight into the 50 pocket easily. But something happened, and the ball instead bounced off of the 10 pocket and landed in the 20.

The heiress was flabbergasted to say the least. She knew exactly where the ball was supposed to go; trajectory was one of her specialties. It didn't make sense to her, until she caught a glimpse. She saw something that wasn't there when her girlfriend measured it up. The ramp looked to have slightly- ever-so slightly -lowered, and the man running the game walked back over, with the balls she had just used already back on the rack, awaiting its next victim. Weiss added it all up; the man running the game must've adjusted the ramp whenever Ruby positioned herself for the running start. It was the only explanation in the heiress' mind. Ruby walked over to her girlfriend, sighing a defeated sigh as she carried her purple monkey in her hand. "Well, I guess not, you can try now Weiss."

Weiss simply grinned, a smug, sinister grin. She patted her girlfriend's head as she stepped forward to the game. The man at the game gave the heiress another greedy smirk. "'Ello, ma'am, care to have a go at it?" The man spoke in a Jamaican accent. His name was Eddy, and looked rather matured.

"Is this game _difficult?_ " Weiss asked in an innocent tone, handing the man a 5 lien bill.

"Oh no miss. It's really eazey," The man replied in his foreign accent. "Yu jost roll tha bawl down dis raump and aim fo one of deez pockets. It is simpul."

"Okay." Weiss said. She knew exactly how to play it: she'd played tons of booths before. It was One of those hidden talents she had. She had a code for every game as well, easy games meant cheatable ones, as she had come to learn. She grabbed one of the balls, instead of measuring it up, she simply stuck out her two fingers. Without the man noticing, small glyphs aligned the ramp, telling her the trajectory of it. She disengaged as the glyphs disappeared. With the accounted trajectory in measure, she simply rolled the ball blithely. It hit the ramp and landed straight in the 50 pocket. The heiress smirked as the man looked with surprise.

"Dat was a goot first try." He commented smirking.

"Thank you," Weiss returned. "Showing off for my girlfriend."

The man's surprised look reappeared as he noticed the enthusiastic redhead cheering her on in the back, dawning a light of understanding in him. Before he could react, Weiss scored another 50 pocket with ease. "Beginner's luck?" Weiss simply stated, feigning an innocent look. The man simply grunted softly as he walked over to the gate. "How many more points do I need to get one of those giant panda bears?"

"Yu gotta score in one of doze hundred pockets," He answered, sarcastically. "If yu can."

Weiss let out a simple 'Hmf', showing a frustrated look. It was a difficult one, but she knew EXACTLY how to get it right in, without any misses. The man chuckled a couple times as he leaned against the gate. "Was tha matta, don't tink you can?"

The alabaster teen closed her eyes, smirking as smug as she could. She pointed her fingers behind the man. Forming a glyph behind him. She activated it before pointing to the game board. It made a loud banging sound, to which the man turned around as it grew louder. With that, Weiss threw the ball, instead of rolling it down the ramp. With another glyph around the ball, it flew into the right 100 pocket. A buzzer sounded at the game's sign as it flashed and flickered all about, as a ' _WINNER!'_ sign scrolled across the digital scoreboard. The man looked to the sign in shock, dumbfounded by what happened. Weiss smiled sinisterly as she grabbed the giant hanging panda that sat on the post beside her, giving said panda to her girlfriend, who was too busy wrapping her in a hug and kissing her unconditionally. After the scene was over the duo walked away. Weiss craned her head behind her to see the man still in dumbfounded shock as he checked the levers and the gate at the game, trying to clue in how it happened. He turned to look at her, with an expressionless face on. Weiss gave him another innocent smirk, this one darker than ever as she lifted her free hand, spawning a small glyph in her palm as the man's eyes widened in understanding.

Just like that; Weiss conned the con-man.

* * *

The car ride home was calm and quiet, with the exception of the radio playing a classic rock tune quietly. The ride back was similar to the ride up, as Ruby and Blake snored quietly in their seats, Yang sipped her coffee. Only Weiss was watching as the amusement park was, once again, just a large figure in the distance.

"That's an awfully large ass panda you got." Yang spoke, jolting Weiss out of her daydreaming of the afternoon with Ruby as she turned to the driver. "You win it? Or did Ruby finally conquer her number 1 summer goal?"

"I won it for her." Weiss answered, looking out the window to check. The large panda bear sat comfortably atop the rental car, it's arms swinging with the wind from the car. 20 different things of rope secured it snugly to the vehicle, with a half-roll of duct tape just to be safe. Weiss knew it wouldn't fly off by no way– other than ripping it off from the legs -and wondered just how they would get it off when they got back.

"Yeah? That's some pretty good ball handling skills you got there," Yang spoke with a snicker, making Weiss face palm. "It really came… handy-"

"Okay, okay," Weiss interrupted, sighing. "Jesus, how are you two even related?"

"In all seriousness, though, that was nice of you," Yang returned. "She's been dying to get that fucking panda bear since she first laid her silver eyes on it, and you've seen her when she's determined."

"Yeah, I still remember the tower of stacked furniture as she tried to grab the cookie jar from the top of the cupboard. Thank Oum she didn't get hurt doing so."

Yang giggled a bit as she sighed. "So, how did your time with Rubes go?"

"It was alright, after winning that game, we went on a couple of different rides," Weiss spoke, remembering the details of the many rides designed for couples. "Jesus, the amount of swans and cupids at that place, it was like being in a Valentines day carnival."

"Yeah, me and Blakey went on a few of them." Yang said, rubbing her girlfriend's arm gently.

"Yeah? How did your excursion go?"

"Well, it was pretty good; we did a couple competition games, went on a few couples rides," the blonde stated. "That was, until we got on one that had fountains shooting all around us, and a weird, big-ass dog mascot at the end of it."

"Oooh.." Weiss sounded with remorse.

"Yeah. She clung to me the second the fountains went on, which that big dummy of a mascot seen as a cute lesbian couple moment. He tried to wave to us during the ride, to which I tried to sign 'go fuck yourself', I guess he can't see too well in that big as dog-head of his, 'cause he showed up right as I finally got Blake off of me off of the ride. Of course, she pounced at him and started jittering like a fish having a seizure on my back. He collapsed and his head fell off. The guy was like 'What the fuck's your problem?!' and I was about to yell that she was a cat faunus, when I realized he didn't know what was underneath her bow."

"Damn… That must've sucked." Weiss responded.

"So. One embarrassing moment, a tranquilizer dart, and a sleeping cat faunus girlfriend later, here we are," Yang concluded, carefully scratching the faunus girl's bow as the unconscious girl meowed softly. "I don't blame her for what happened, not at all. I just wish she'd be a little more… open, especially in one-time experiences like today."

"She'll come around," Weiss spoke comfortingly. Giving Yang an assuring nod. "Eventually. It's just something she's not quite used to yet."

"Yeah," Yang affirmed, looking at her girlfriend and back at the road. "In time."

* * *

 **So I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. I actually went to Canada's Wonderland for the first time a couple weeks ago, thus where I got the inspiration from. For those American's who don't know about it, it's like a Canadian Disneyland, to put it into perspective. It was a fuck-ton of fun. I went on a dozen roller coasters, and a lot of different other rides. I swear to god, I must've lost a good year of living every time I went on one. And I turned into a holy man for the day, screaming 'JESUS IS MA SHIELD!' (Hence the reference). So yeah. I hope ALL OF YOU have a fun and safe Canada Day/Independence day (in a few days. Ik it's the 4** **th** **of July). As for me, I'm probably gonna get baked off my ass, smoke some dope, get drunk and hang by the fire tonight. So to all of my Canadian/American audience. Have a good day eh! Stay tuned for the next chapters**


	30. Underlying Truth

**Heyo! Welcome back to another installment. Normally, I'd talk about this and that, whatever's going on in my life that might be important, but nobody reads these anyway, so I've given up trying to communicate to the audience. I've tried to ask your help, but nobody's listening, so fuck it, down to the story note**

 **Story Note: WARNING! Scene contains cutting and explicit content the end. BE FORWARNED!**

* * *

It was strange, in an unexpected way, how Weiss felt in the coming nights after her mom's death. She feared she'd have nightmares, horrible, gut-wrenching night-terrors about her mother, telling her to die in hell, and burn slowly and painfully. But the night after the call, her dream was of the lounge area, sitting beside her mom as the duo sipped tea out of fancy, gold-rimmed teacups. The area was calm, peacefully quiet. When she turned her head to look at her mother, all she saw was the note on the chair. Her stomach clenched, and instinctively, she stood up. As she did, the teacup slowly dropped to the floor, shattering once it finally reached. And that's when she awoke, not screaming or petrified, but startled, breathing like she just jogged. When she realized where she was again, she rolled over, letting Ruby spoon her as she drifted back into sleep again. And that was as abnormal a dream she had for the rest of the night.

The funeral service was held the Friday of the call, The White Rose duo were both invited to come, seeing as Will knew Weiss would want her girlfriend to come too. The private airship arrived at the academy that Friday morning. Weiss told the headmaster the day before and he gave his condolences to her and wished her a safe trip. The Bumblebee couple gave theirs as well that morning as they saw them off. The whole time Weiss couldn't stop thinking about the envelope with the letter, how it played in her mind. Such a subtle note, yet so significant, it made her question, it made her doubt. And the worst part, she couldn't make up her mind, whether she hated her mom, or she didn't. Her whole life, she thought she would never even like her, much less love her. But now, her perspective was skewed. Was she wrong to judge her on things she didn't know, didn't understand? Was her mom the true problem, or was her aspect biased?

It bothered Weiss, the uncertainty, the indecisiveness. It gnawed at every fiber of reason, trying to make light to her situation. Only when she was prompted did her train of thought stop, as Ruby wrapped her arms around her. Weiss' gaze shifted to the smaller girl as she studied her. Ruby looked up from where her head sat on her shoulder, giving her a heartwarming smile that Weiss so-needed.

"Are you okay?" Ruby asked instinctively, in a caring tone, earning a nod from Weiss.

"Yeah," Weiss responded, laying back in the seat as she stared up at the ceiling of the cabin. "Just tired."

"The trips gonna be awhile, you can take a nap if you like."

"I think I will." Weiss agreed. She moved back a bit as she lowered down across the seat, resting her head in the rose clad girl's lap. Ruby smirked as she carefully shifted to a more comfortable position, placing her hand on the latter's cheek. The heiress hummed in bliss as she relaxed into the red clad's embrace. Although she wanted to get some much needed rest -she barely got any sleep the previous night- The letter still nagged at her. She knew the feeling wasn't going to go away, and so she had to change the subject.

"Most of my family relatives are gonna be there, you know," Weiss spoke abruptly. "Some of them I haven't seen in years. Cousins, uncles and aunts."

"I know," Ruby replied melodically

"If you thought coming out to my father was scary, wait until you see the other part of my family tree. They're so old fashioned."

"Are you scared?" Ruby asked quizzically. "I mean, of our relationship? I can play it off as best friends again if you don't want them to know."

"No. I knew when I started to become more public about our relationship that I would have to face some sort of negative reaction. If tonight ends with all of them despising me because of my relationship with you, that's their problem," Weiss answered. Flipping over so she could look Ruby in the eyes. "Besides, my father would probably tell them at the service too. He likes to talk about us in his conversations."

Ruby giggled in a sweet tone as she smirked. It gave the heiress an assurance, something to hold onto during the funeral. Her love was there for her, and whether she walked out of there a blubbering mess, or a stone-cold statue, she at least knew she was gonna be backed up by her partner. The red clad coursed Weiss' hair, humming a tune Weiss had never heard before, but sounded blissful and heartwarming. As if it was a magical spell, Weiss started to dowse off, her eyelids became heavy, her body warmed by the one she was resting on. Unable to fight off the tiredness, she finally closed her eyes as her head tilted closer to the younger girl. The redhead smirked as she cupped the sleeping heiress' cheek.

"Goodnight, sweetheart."

* * *

Weiss started to stir as she slowly opened her eyes, stretching out as far as she could as she let out a yawn. The cabin of the airship was filled with an evening glow, and Weiss soon realized she was covered with something. She noticed it was Ruby's cape, draped over her from head to toe. It was warm, and smelled like fresh air and the season's greeting. Weiss buried her face in the fabric some more, taking in the aroma of the little huntress she loved. She wanted to sleep a little more, but the airship was already near Atlas' borders. And so, she decided to get up, with the small amount of rest she did attain.

Weiss noticed, quite instantly, that Ruby was fast asleep. Her head was resting over the seat, a small, comical bubble rose and lowered with every low snore she elicited. Weiss smiled, carefully lifting up her head as she placed it on her shoulder. The little redhead continued to sleep peacefully, though the snoring dulled down dramatically. The heiress calmly draped her cape over both hers and her sleeping redhead's body, trying for a smidge more of rest before departure. ' _Maybe just a little more…_ '

…

….

…..

…

….

…..

…

….

"Excuse me, miss Schnee?"

Weiss started to stir at the sound of some man. She opened her eyes to find the pilot, an older man, hunched over as he tried to wake her up as calmly as possible. "We've just landed in Atlas. Your father has sent you a personal helicopter to come pick you up, it's awaiting you and your guest outside." The man spoke sincerely. Weiss gave a nod and the man turned around and left the cabin.

The white haired huntress shook Ruby carefully, as to not startle her or make her jolt. The redhead slowly woke up as she looked blearily at Weiss, "Wsmattr…" She mumbled, trying to go back to sleep.

"Come on hun, we're in Atlas now." Weiss reported to her sweetly. Ruby let out a loud yawn, rubbing both eyes as she licked her dry lips. Scratching her side before peering around the cabin.

"We're still in the ship?" Ruby finally said. Weiss nodded in answer. "How long have we been here?"

"Long enough," Weiss replied, getting up as she grabbed Ruby's hand and hoisted her up. "Now come on, we've got a private helicopter awaiting our arrival."

The duo left the docked airship as the loud thundering of the helicopter awaited them. They walked over to it as Markus stepped out of the cabin of the heli.

"Welcome back Weiss, Ruby," Markus shouted over the drowning of the chopper. "I was told to come pick you up!"

"Splendid!" Weiss replied, walking with Ruby as the tall man opened the cabin doors. He let them in first before closing the door as the noise of the propellers were muffled inside of the helicopter.

"I heard about what happened, the night of her passing, your father told me you'd be coming," Markus spoke in a normal tone now. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you, Markus," Weiss replied, doing a small bow in her seat. "It means something to me, to hear that from you."

"So, w-what happened?" Ruby piped in, sounding rather apologetic for asking. "If you don't mind me asking."

"I don't know. Your father didn't tell me the gist of it. He just said to expect you to come soon, and to have your funeral gown's ready."

Weiss nodded and sighed. She didn't get any information from her father either, he said he would tell her once she arrived. She didn't understand why he couldn't just tell her on the phone, but suspected something important about it. It was the pinnacle point to her indecisiveness with her mom, one she had been fretting about ever since.

The helicopter landed on the helipad at the Schnee mansion as the duo went inside. Weiss took her girlfriend to her room, where two dresses sat on the bed with their names on the hangers. Weiss' was a simple black dress with a matching coloured lace bolero sweater, and black flat dress shoes. Ruby's was a black long sleeved dress, similar to her regular huntress outfit, though a small, red cape came with the outfit that covered just past her torso, and she kept on her regular black boots and leggings. The young redhead twirled about in front of the mirror, letting out gleeful sounds as she played with her cape.

"Having fun there?" Weiss commented as the redhead twirled around to her happily.

"I've never had such a small cape before, this thing's awesome!" Ruby replied in zeal. "It's like wearing a poofy parachute!"

Weiss giggled as the latter continued to twirl around her cape. The younger was right, it looked like a smaller sized parachute without any strings. She watched it for awhile, taking in her girlfriend's attractive look, even in black. She seemed to pull it off better than Blake did. And when she thought of it, she was the complete opposite of what her attire would suggest. It was the one secret pleasure Weiss found alluring. Even despite her darkish clothing, her attitude and complexion was always bright, full of life. Weiss felt comfortable knowing she could depend on her, even if she broke down today.

Ruby did one last twirl as she turned to face the heiress. "You ready to go?" She asked, as Weiss nodded.

"Yep, let's go." She stated, getting up from her bed as she linked her arm with Ruby's and held open the door for her, as they exited the bedroom.

The duo strode to the awaiting limousine that sat outside the door as Markus opened the car door for them. They were greeted by the hyperactive bulldog as he waged his little nubby tail frantically. The duo greeted MJ as Mark drove off. "Where's father?" Weiss asked.

"He went to the service already, said he wanted to make sure everything was in-check," Mark replied. "I honestly think he just wanted some time alone, even from Aria."

"He's that devastated?" Weiss asked, slightly dumbfounded. For someone he despised since the divorce, he was rather distraught with sadness.

"Kinda. Course he is a little devastated, he never wanted her to die, but I think it was how she went that fucked him up," Markus responded, turning the corner. "After the phone calls, upon learning of her death and phoning you, he went to his study. Aria told me she found him sitting by the large window, smoking what she counted was the third cigar and drinking the last of his whiskey. She said he was guilt-ridden."

Weiss had only seen her father do that once, just when the divorce started. She found him, sitting in the same identical spot Markus described, smoking a cigar and chugging whiskey like it was water. She approached him and asked about it, and he said he was fine, he was okay. As if trying to reassure himself more than his little girl. He was never mad at her for being there, and if he was, he'd never show it. At those times, he found solace in being alone. And although he put on a brave face, Weiss could see the stoicism in him. It was the sole reason why she wanted him to win the custody battle, apart from being abused by her mother.

"Oh, I almost forgot. He told me today, before I left on the chopper, to tell you to go meet him up on the balcony. He said to come alone though."

Weiss acknowledged as she looked out the window, watching the city roll by them through the tinted glass window. She had a feeling she knew what he was going to talk about, the sole reason behind the note.

What happened to Snow.

* * *

Weiss walked down the cool marble hallway of the funeral home. Beautiful paintings and décor lined the walls, though she didn't pay any attention to it. The question still remained inside her head; what was Snow to Weiss. Was she a mad witch, or a misguided widow? Weiss didn't know, and the worst part was she was dead now. Whether or not she knew her answer, she could never tell her mother. And so, when she came to the large doors that lead out to the balcony, she hesitated to almost blow the doors open and continue through. She paused, took a steeling breath, and ever-so formally, knocked before entering.

Weiss saw her father standing at the balcony, hutched over it as he watched an employee set up the heating blanket on the ground. He craned his head behind him to his daughter as he gave a nod. "Are you alone?" he asked.

"Yes." Weiss answered.

"Good," He spoke. "Come closer darling."

Weiss complied as she closed the door behind her, striding over to her dad as he turned around finally. A heartwarming smile stretched on his face as she neared him. They both did their formal greeting as the man kissed her on the cheek, before enveloping her in a firm hug. She could tell he much-wanted a hug from her, after all that happened. He finally let go as they turned back to the ledge.

"How's everyone doing?" Weiss finally spoke, ending the prolonged minute of silence between them.

"They're alright, Winter was shocked to hear the news, so was Aria," Will spoke. "I was told Winter had gotten a letter from your mom the night of her death. Did you get one as well?"

"Yes." Weiss said instinctively.

"What did it say, if you don't mind me asking."

"It… she confessed to me," Weiss stated, making William turn his head to her. "She told me she was a terrible mother to me and Winter, she explained to us her reasoning's and confided in us her truth. She told me she was happy to have us, and wished she'd been a better person when she had the chance. She opened up to me, in a way I never thought she would. She told me she actually loved me, from the bottom of her heart. But most of all, she accepted her fate. She never asked my forgiveness, my sympathy. She loved and accepted me, and that's all she cared for."

William simply nodded, as if relating and piecing together the last of the puzzle. "I had a feeling she would finally open up." He stated, this time making Weiss turn to him.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

Will closed his eyes, looking down as a pained sigh left him. "The night your moth-... Snow, died. Even before that, she started to become… how you would say, losing it. She started mumbling to herself, apparently. She scribbled your name on the walls, telling how she was sorry. My friend works in the prison, he said it was as if she had a conversation on the walls and floors about you. She cried most nights, saying she was a horrible mom. She lost herself Weiss, and the only thing that seemed to calm her down was a small picture of you when you were young."

Weiss stood, shocked, once-again, dumbfounded. She couldn't believe the words her dad was saying. It twisted and knotted in her mind, the image of her mom, clutching her head and mumbling her name, as if she was her saint. "Wh…why…"

"They say she felt she needed to write you and Winter a letter, and she spent days working on it. It was as if she was level-headed when she wrote to you girls. She ticked off the number of days on her arm until it finally arrived to you, she timed it perfectly. That night you received the letter, the guards said they found her hanging from the light fixture from the ceiling, with a picture of you in her right hand. And the words 'Goodbye Weiss,' on the floor below her."

Weiss clutched the railing firmly, breathing rather heavily as the thought sunk in. Everything he said felt false, fake. As if he was trying to convince her that her mom was actually sorry. She wanted to yell at him for lying, but a more reasonable question arose. "Why? Why would she, after I told her I never wanted to see her again?"

"What?" Will questioned, dumbfounded. "What do you mean 'why'?"

"She never loved me, so how come 'all of a sudden' she just starts begging my forgiveness?!"

"Are you still in denial? She's always loved you!" Will shouted at her, taking Weiss aback. "She's loved you from the very beginning of your life, I saw it with my own eyes. But she didn't know how to raise you properly, she never grew up with a family!"

"LIAR!" Weiss shouted back, this time making William step back. "How could you say such lies! If she was so guilt-ridden, begging for forgiveness and going crazy, then how come her writing never faltered?! How come there was no tear stains, or messy lettering, or anything!"

"Because she CARED!"

Weiss stopped, standing still as her eyes widened. "She hated herself, Weiss. For not being able to express her undying love for you. She felt imprisoned in herself for not being able to say it! When the divorce happened, she wanted you to stay with her because she didn't want to lose you! But after everything she did, after the custody battle was over and the divorce was final, she gave up on herself! Why do you think she always looked so cold, so emotionless? Because that's all she had left!"

Weiss remained still, her voice a little hoarse from shouting. William grabbed the railing tight, bending over as he panted. As if the confession stole away his breath. "She told me not to tell you, Weiss, until you were ready. But the time never came, the days passed on and I slowly forgot about it. She asked me, in her one phone call, to tell you before it was too late. But I never had another chance to. So I'm saying it now, and by god if it makes any difference now. She's gone already."

Will turned to his daughter, with tears in his eyes. "Weiss, she always loved you, and her pushing you to the absolute limit was her only way of protecting you. She wanted you to be your absolute best when you were becoming a huntress. She wanted you to use that hatred you bided to become the strongest. Even she admitted she was too hard on you, she hated herself for that too. But she knew that, when you conquered and you continued to train and eventually honed your skills, she was preparing you for a world that you could fight back against."

The man grabbed the heiress' shoulders. "I'm not trying to make her sound unbelievable, Weiss, and I know it is really hard, I understand. When you've lived your whole life with a certain fact set in stone, it hard to believe that that same person could be any different. But she came to a realization when she went to the penitentiary, a certainty, that drove her to the brink of chaos; she was NEVER gonna be able to see her beloved daughter again. It's what the therapists say drove her mad. It's what made her come to realize that she had messed up the one thing she sought to protect. She made small conversations with herself, trying to alleviate the growing hatred inside her for not being there for you. And I can guess that she prayed to Oum you would at least read her letter, hoping that she could finally say the one thing that plagued her from the very beginning. So Weiss, I want you to at least know this much truth about Snow.

She loved you, more than anything she could love in this world."


	31. Kalter Tag

**Hey guys. Welcome back to another chapter. Before I begin, I know I said I'd stop doing A/N's, but you guys actually RESPONDED to it! Which is solely what I've been trying to attain since… I can't remember, It's been past 10 chapters or something. But yeah. I need to explain it briefly, so that you guys understand. Because I like doing author's notes. It helps me kinda vent out my situations in life and stuff, and lets me share my excursions with you guys. And I've been saying, and repeating, and plastering the pleas almost every chapter. I DON'T CARE if you guys don't wanna read my long A/N's, that's fine by me. But my only REQUEST is that you skim through the important topics, and at least acknowledge it. A 'FUCK NO' would be better than no reply at all, because a FUCK NO means you've read my REQUEST, and you've replied to me, so that I at least know you guys are reading said requests.**

 **STORY NOTES: Okay, not gonna lie, this is just a filler chap. Just setting up for the next arc. So I apologize that it's not very big, but do expect more in the coming chapters. So enjoy for now, and stay tuned.**

* * *

There was something in that truth, the underlying truth, that drove Weiss into pure uncertainty. Not about her mother, but what she thought of her in general. Her hatred for her fostered from everything in her life: how she persuaded Winter to join Atlas Special Forces, how she wanted custody over Weiss, and most importantly, how she forced Weiss to become a huntress, as painstakingly difficult as it was. And now that she thought of it, Weiss couldn't remember when she even started to hate her. She just remembered despising her all her life. It made her feel guilty, ashamed. All this time, she was angered by her mom for ruining her life, when really she sculpted the founding blocks of their family's life. Of course it wasn't the best, she had problems, just like everybody else. But it was something she finally admired. Winter had a great job now, William was still running the company after the divorce, and now, taking full control of it. Without her mother, Weiss wouldn't even be a huntress at all. She pushed her to achieve acceptable standards for Beacon Academy. Without that, she would've never discovered herself, and would've never met Ruby. It was strange to Weiss how everything in her life, good and bad, stemmed from her mother.

Weiss walked briskly down the corridor of the funeral home, her thoughts running rampant throughout her mind during. It started to anger her, the complete lack of certainty ate away at her thought process. The heiress was so caught up in her musings that she didn't even realize she was outside, it wasn't until a calm, chilling breeze brought her back to reality. Weiss clutched her arms in a shiver as she waded out the breeze. Once it stopped she looked around the area for her family members, finding the ever-growing crowd as she walked over.

Weiss found Ruby waiting on a wall away from the crowd as she walked up to her. "Ruby, what're you doing here? I thought you were with Mark?" The heiress spoke confusedly.

"No, Mark said funerals gave him the chills, so he was gonna go do some errands." Ruby stated. "He said he'd come back once the service was over."

The redhead calmly grabbed Weiss' hand, giving her a comforting smirk. "Besides. I didn't want to just mingle with a bunch of family members I don't know, I'd rather wait for you." She continued, earning an empathetic look from the heiress.

Ruby looked over her shoulder to the crowd of people, all dressed in dark, formal clothing. "Uhm, I know we talked about this already, but I just wanna make sure you're still okay. Are you still sure you want to show our relationship to your whole, large, famil-mm!"

Ruby's lips stopped as Weiss stole a kiss. She wrapped her arms around the younger's torso, as Ruby slowly adjusted to the kiss. They finally parted as Weiss rested her head on the latter's shoulder. Enveloping her in a kind hug that felt so relieving of the heiress. "Ruby. I need you, more than anyone else in this world. You are the only thing that makes sense to me right now," Weiss spoke, letting out a sniffle as she soon could feel her eyes tearing up. "I don't care about their views, their opinions. What's important to me right now is that I have someone I can confide in, and nobody here can do that but you."

Ruby stood silent for a moment, a light of understanding coming to her as she returned the embrace. "Okay. I'm here for you Weiss." She said consolingly.

"Thank you," Weiss returned, standing straight again as she wiped a few tears from her eyes.

"Now, let's go."

* * *

It would be an understatement to say that Ruby was a little nervous. She'd never been good with funerals to start –it brought up too many memories of her past- and she wasn't very good with large crowds either. Mix the two up and there was one volatile concoction for anxiety. Fortunately, she had one thing she could cling to for support: Her girlfriend. Her level of confidence walking with Ruby, regardless of how many eyes were on them, stunned the redhead. And it wasn't long before even the heiress could hear the whispers about them. But Weiss simply strode forward, with Ruby by her side, as they soon found William and the rest of her family.

"Ah, Weiss! Ruby!" Winter spoke as she walked over to them. The older woman opened up her arms as she wrapped the duo in a hug. "It's so good to see you two!"

"You as well, sister." Weiss replied formally, giving her a hug, as did Ruby. The group finally parted as they walked over to the rest of the family, giving them their greetings as well before walking forward.

"Man, there is a lot of people here." Winter stated. Looking around the crowd in shock.

"Yeah. Some of them came down from Northern Atlas. But a lot had to fly up from the other countries," Will spoke. "Grandma Schnee said that she came all the way from Mistral to be here."

"Really?" Winter spoke, earning a nod from her father.

"Yeah, she came up with your aunt Frost," Will continued, earning a scowl from Weiss and a sigh from Winter. "And your cousins as well."

"Great…" Weiss muttered dejectedly. She was another problem in the family tree. And Weiss suspected she would be the most difficult coming out to. Frost's nature rooted from Weiss' grandfather, Snow and Frost's father. They were a bunch of bigoted, wealthy folk that believed anything outside of their taste was 'mediocre' and unfit of their name. Weiss had been in their mansion only once, as bribery by her father. And she had made an oath that she would NEVER tread in the same path as them. Their mansion made Will's seem like a beach house in Florida. It reminded Weiss that her mom's side of the family was twisted, hell-bent in their higher-than-thou standards. Which was the sole reason why she wanted NOTHING to do with them. And why she was being so open with her relationship in the first place.

"Now girls. Before you go and mingle, I want to be very clear," Will spoke, turning around to face the two. "I know they can be very insufferable. But please, don't start any fights. I don't want to be around them just as much as you."

The girls nodded in unison and bowed, acknowledging their father's wish. "We're here for your mother. After the eulogy we have the grand dinner, and after that we're free to go home. At the most all I'm asking is you stay for the service." Will concluded, as both girls nodded.

"Yes, father." Winter agreed.

"Okay." Weiss added.

* * *

 _A few hours Later._

Weiss strode forth, with Ruby intertwined at her fingertips, through the bustling crowd. The heiress had met up with a bunch of her family relatives, cousins, uncles and aunts, a couple of the family elders. There were brief times during which her relatives would notice Ruby, some of them asked her name, for Weiss to formally and nonchalantly introduce them to her girlfriend. Most of them gave her a cold stare, understanding quite easily their relationship, to which Weiss simply brushed it off and ended their convo's briefly. For Ruby, it was a slight relief. She was never necessarily in the spotlight in their greeting and even if she was, only for a small amount of time before Weiss would move on. Pretty soon, Ruby's nerves alleviated as they continued to mingle and talk.

Weiss stopped at a table with drinks as she took one for her and her girlfriend. The duo took a swig as they looked around the area, where the topic seemed to be all about them. Weiss had known it would happen, and simply encouraged it. She knew that some of them were hunters and huntresses, as oddly as it seemed. And even still, they were no match for Weiss. Their ambition was only for fun, as if it was some sport. Like a much bigger trophy hunt. Weiss knew they wouldn't even survive against a boarbatusk. It gave her an affirmation that she could at least get out of their feuds, however big they might turn out. To Ruby, it was pretty clear the amount of regal distaste they had in her. Even her outfit stood out from all of them. She knew she'd get some backlash from somebody, but she never wanted it to be her girlfriend's family. She wanted them to like her, to accept her and Weiss in their relationship. But Ruby knew far too well that would never happen. Especially with their wealthy nature. It made the redhead's stomach clench, made her feel unwanted. Weiss could see her shifting behaviour in her, and she knew her girlfriend was feeling uncomfortable.

"Hey, I'm sorry hun," Weiss consoled soothingly, lifting the pain in the redhead's gut. "I know you're feeling rather… uncomfortable, but we gotta stay for the dinner tonight. So is there anything I can do to alleviate your discomfort?"

"No, it's not that, it's just…" Ruby sighed, looking around the area at the dozens of people all talking and mingling. "Almost everyone we've met today has had some form of disgust in our relationship. One almost looked like she was gonna spit on us!"

"I know Rube. But we both made a promise, to stay by each other's side."

"I know, I know," Ruby spoke, looking down at the ground. "I just, wish your family would like me a little more, and accept us."

Weiss pulled the shorter one in for a hug, resting the latter's head on her shoulder. "I know hun. I do too," The heiress spoke. "Which is why I want to cut my ties with them. That was why I came here today. Well, partly why."

"You're here to make amends with your mom," Ruby stated, making Weiss' eyes widen as the crimson girl lifted her head from the alabaster's shoulder. "That's why we're here, I understand Weiss. That's why I'm here for you now."

Weiss let up a grin, that slowly turned into a smile as she nodded. "Thank you, for understanding."

"Of course, my lady," Ruby spoke, her tone shifting to a more royal tone. "Shall we go?"

"Of course, my little red rose." Weiss replied, linking arms with her as they walked forward.

 _To Be Continued…_


	32. Gefälschter Schnee (Part 1)

**Hello! Welcome back, it's been awhile, so I'm just gonna let you jump right in, cuz I don't really have much I wanna say. BUT just know Topaz and I are very close to finishing the next BOA chapter. And I will get right into the next chapter for this, so that it comes out sooner. So yeah, Stay tuned!**

 **Story Notes:** **So this chapter is just another sorta filler, just a brief history lesson about the SDC. Also, I've been implementing a lot of German words (The title speaks for itself), it's a new kind of way to express the Weiss arc, since her background is German. So yeah. I don't speak German myself, just FYI. I just kind spit them into translate.**

* * *

 _ **9:30 p.m. Schnee Family Mansion: 2**_ _ **nd**_ _ **Floor Balcony. After the Service.**_

"None of you understand! You're all just a bunch of spoiled-rotten son's and daughter's who copied the fucking _Schnee_ name! Do any of you false Schnee's know anything about working hard to achieve your goals?! About doing something in life?! Do any of you even understand the amount of effort and sacrifice my mother went through!"

The small crowd that Whitley had around him seemed to die down as they turned to Weiss, a stoic complexion to her face with her head lowered slightly, emitting an intimidatingly strong look to her. Whitley let out a simple snort, though it didn't stop the heiress as she gave a simple darkened smirk. "You all talk rich, you wreak perfection, acting all snobby just 'cause daddy got a big company. But the one person in this family tycoon who found something more in this world than money, and all you do is mock her for her dreams, criticise her for her beliefs, and shun the rest of us who've found better things in life other than bank account balance's. So congratulations for ironing our last name into your family bloodline, dummköpfe."

A part of the crowd gasped in shock of the sheer language Weiss shot at them as their complexion angered. Whitley walked in front of his Posey, his angered look turning into a smug smirk as he stared up Weiss from head to toe. The heiress would've had a shiver run down her spine from the sheer look her cousin was giving her, had it not been for her steeled nerves, and the few drinks of wine. He simply smirked, disgusting Weiss even more as he opened his mouth. "That's quite the ironic speech, coming from the heiress of the multi-million dollar _Schnee Dust Corporation_ ," The white haired boy spoke. "You seem to forget; you are in the same family tree as us."

Weiss let out a snort, turning into a small, hysterical laugh as she slowly walked forward. "We clearly don't see eye-to-eye. The _Schnee Dust Corporation_ , is _meaningless_ to me," Weiss spoke, earning a surprised look from the latter. "Just because I have the branded title of 'heiress', doesn't mean I live it. Truthfully, I couldn't care less for it. Because I've found something you brainless _fools_ could never find in your million-dollar mansions, something that my mother and _only_ my mother had dreamed of, in all of our family bloodline.

 _Something beyond money._ "

* * *

 _Before the funeral service…_

Weiss and Ruby continued to walk around the crowd of family members, trying to burn the time before the service. Unfortunately, even the heiress didn't know most of the family members that were present at the funeral. Some she had never seen; others she had only seen maybe once in her childhood. Making the wait seem forever as she continuously checked her scroll. That was, until a cold, dark chill ran along the heiress' spine, and an uneasy feeling arose in her stomach as she tensed up.

"Weiss? What's wrong?" Ruby asked with a concerned look.

"That vibe…" She said, just those two words. Before Ruby could respond, a few sets of footsteps started growing behind the duo as Weiss knew exactly who it was, even before they appeared.

"Weiss Schnee." A woman with a regal tone in her voice spoke. Turning her head, Weiss saw the three people she despised of. Before her mother, they sat a close second on the list. And she believed they'd be bumped up to the top now. The heiress mentally sighed as she turned to face them, though her dampened look remained present.

"Hello, aunt Frost." Weiss greeted in a normal tone.

"That's how you greet your great aunt, after several years apart?" The woman retorted, making Weiss mentally flinch as her dampened look grew darker.

"Great to see you too," The heiress rebuked, fixing her gaze to the other members beside her aunt. "To you as well, Whitley, Wynter."

"Please, the pleasure's…" Whitley paused, picking up the alabaster girl's closest hand as he kissed the back of it. "All mine."

Weiss had to fight the incredible motion to smack him with the same hand, instead opting to yank it out of his grasp as she continued to stare at him.

"I see your father went the extra mile as well," The aunt interjected, as Weiss gave her a confused look. "To go so far as to get you your own personal servant for the service, it must be splendid. I almost wish I brought mine now."

"Excuse me?" Weiss replied, frustration starting to grow in her as she continued to listen to her aunt's regal ignorance.

"Isn't that what this girl beside you is for? Although, that attire is not fit for such an international figure such as yourself," The aunt quipped, pointing to the redhead beside her. "I don't recall ever seeing you with other peers your age before. So your father must've hired her to help you during your time of need."

Ruby stared at the matured woman in sheer shock, a frown forming on her face before it scrunched into anger. Weiss had it with her as well, as her complexion maddened by the sheer tenacity of the figure before her. There was a moment, a split moment. One that possibly kept the heiress from hurting her aunt tremendously, a reminder that she soon remembered from her father.

' _Please, don't start any fights. We're here for your mother.'_

Upon remembering her father's words, Weiss' irate complexion soon melted away as she simply looked back at Frost, a devious smirk on her face as she did. "Well then. You've clearly both underestimated, _and_ insulted me as an 'international figure'. Like I've said to the countless other family members, this is Ruby Rose," Weiss spoke with enticement as she presented the crimson girl. "She is not only my _best_ friend, but she is my partner, my leader, _and_ most importantly, my loving girlfriend."

Weiss wasn't sure if it was the series of grand titles, or just the last sentence itself that shocked the trio. Regardless, they stood in shock and awe as Weiss simply grabbed Ruby's hand, intertwining their fingers together. "It has been awhile, aunt Frost. There are a lot of things that have changed over the years: My efforts, my skills and prowess, my happiness, most importantly, my confidence," The heiress spoke. Walking up towards the older female with the younger girl beside her. "You may try to belittle me, as you have in the past -that much hasn't changed in you, clearly- But I will _not_ stand here while you also insult _my_ girl. Now, I _**DEMAND**_ you formally and respectfully apologize to her, _**Right Now**_!"

Frost remained silent, continuing to stare at the duo. Little did they know the crowd around them were starting to look their way. Finally, the aunt's mouth started to move as her lips curved into an unpleasant scowl. "You dare raise your voice to me, young lady! You and your queerness have tainted the regal name-"

"The Schnee name doesn't refer to you," Weiss interjected, causing Frost's eyes to widen. "It refers to my father, and those related to him. Myself included."

"Clearly no one told you about the agreements and the legal terms your parents signed into," Frost butted in, this time silencing Weiss as her eyes widened slightly. "The Blass family tree has practically taken the Schnee name."

Weiss stood still, not comprehending what the woman was saying. The older woman, giving a simple snort – as if to rub in her dumbfounded complexion – continued. "What do you think our last name's are? Didn't your father or mother ever tell you how your grandparents adopted us to grow the tycoon even more? How'd you think the _Schnee Dust Corporation_ even started?"

Weiss tensed up as a growing anger arose in her. Her fists clenched as she walked toward the woman, almost threateningly. "You call yourselves Schnees?!" She shouted. Thankfully, Ruby was still aside the heiress as she held the girl back, trying her best to abide Weiss' father's rules.

Suddenly, almost out of nowhere, William appeared before the two arguing sides. Forcing both sides away. "That's enough!" He shouted, peering at his daughter with a growing frustration, before turning said frustration to Frost.

"Ah, William. Thank god," Frost spoke. "Your daughter has not only insulted me, but has tainted the Schnee name with her lesbianism! -"

"You do NOT! -" William shouted, making Frost's face turn even more pale than thought possible. "Insult my daughter like that! We've stopped the agreements a long time ago, you have no right to possess that name anymore!"

Winter arrived at the scene as she stared at the trio before them, a scowl forming on her face before turning to her sister. "Come on, Weiss, Ruby," She spoke, pulling them along with her.

"Let the grown-up's talk for a bit."

…

….

…

..

.

"Let go of me!"

Weiss jerked her hand away from Winter's grasp as she continued to trot through the funeral home's entrance, making her way to the door. "How dare she," The heiress chanted. "How DARE SHE use our name!"

"Look, I know your very upset-"

"I am downright INSULTED that bleach-blonde BITCH has the right to use our name!" Weiss yelled as she turned to her sister, catching the older sibling off-guard. "After all these years, and they STILL have never said ANY of this to me!"

"Look. I know it's difficult! –"

"HOW?! How could you possibly understand?!"

"BECAUSE I WAS NEVER TOLD EITHER!" Winter shouted, her voice echoing throughout the large hallways. Weiss finally stopped, staring at the angered woman before her in shock as the latter panted lightly, her frustrated look melting as she gave a simple sigh.

"Ruby. Could I please have a moment to speak to Weiss privately."

The girl in question nodded beside the heiress, giving Weiss a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll wait for you at the patio." She said softly, before turning to Winter and giving a nod. She left the duo to speak as they heard the outside door open and shut. Once the girl was out of earshot, she turned back to Weiss.

"Let's go someplace private,

Where we can talk alone."

* * *

Winter found a room with some living room furnishings in it, prompting her sister to sit down as she locked the door behind her. Once seated, Winter gave a sigh as she stared at the floor, before her gaze shifted back to the latter. "Where should I start? –"

"When did you find out about this 'adoption' agreement, why was it kept a secret from me, how did you find out-"

"Woah woah! Easy there, little snowflake," Winter interjected. Holding her hands out to calm her down. "I guess I should start at the beginning, how it all started."

Winter cleared her throat as she got comfy in her seat, crossing her legs as she laid her hands in her lap.

"It was a long time ago, way back when you were still a little child, when grandfather was divorcing our grandmother. I had discovered that our aunt's last name was also Schnee. At the time I understood what it meant, but I had no clue how it was possible. I approached mom on it, and she almost lost it on me. She said that our aunt, her sister, was a 'false Schnee', and that I never say she was. I was confused, and ashamed to have asked her. And so, I asked the only other person available at the time. Grandfather had just moved in to the mansion for the time being. And I happened to have caught him at an opportune moment in the gardens.

He told me about his business, how our mom's father approached him one day, with a grand scheme and a get-rich-fast moto. Apparently at the time, it seemed like it was a simple deal: They established a dust company, with father and mother running it. In exchange, our father had to marry our mother into the Schnee name. At the time it seemed foolproof, and at the time, grandpa needed the money for the divorce. But soon, as the corporation continued to thrive, the guidelines shifted, twisted and bent by their order. Grandpa tried to fight back against these new terms, but he soon realized that the contract he signed dug way deeper than even he knew about. They had full control of the company, and they practically owned our father, as he was the Schnee representative and had agreed to the deal, alongside our grandfather. He told our father to get out of the deal by divorcing mom, but he was bound by the contract, and by his own faith. At the time, he was still in love with our mom, despite the growing problems and issues with the family. It was a growing concoction for trouble, and it continued to grow, until even dad saw the fate of the family. They had them under their grasp the whole time, and if dad divorced our mother, they'd be sued and would lose everything."

Weiss listened in shock of the information spoken to her. It confused her how such a drastic episode happened right in front of her, and she had no idea what was going on. "H-how did dad get out then?"

Winter looked up at Weiss, a sympathetic look to her before she spoke. "Fortunately, mom saw the calamity her family was causing, saw the damages of her family. And she soon realized she wanted out. And so, she presented them the info needed to break the contract, the Achilles heel. At the time, they were using faunus slave labour to cultivate the product. Mother was in charge of that department, and she kept it hidden from him, until the time came to use it. Our father and grandfather wasted no time, and they immediately sued the family for breach of contract. When the case was finished, mom's father was arrested for illegal faunus labour deals. Mom had miraculously found a clause that exempted her from any knowledge of the act, saying she had no idea it was happening until she found out."

"So. H-how did the company manage to survive?"

"Well, from what I know, they hired those working in the mines and gave them their rights. Most of the workers quit the job. And after what happened, I don't blame them. But the fact that the competition in the industry was so low, the company continued to thrive, to what it is now."

Winter got up from her seat, walking over to the window as she stared out of it calmly. "Because the business has bloomed thanks to the efforts of our mother's family's side, a lot of our cousins and other family members have changed their name to Schnee. Wrongfully calling themselves one. But nobody here knows the true prowess of a Schnee. Nobody but you and I."

Winter turned back around as she walked back to Weiss, kneeling down beside her as she rested her hand on Weiss'. "So Weiss. Don't get so riled up about it. The way I see it, they're jealous of our true powers. Nobody can do the things we do, it's what makes us special."

Weiss smirked at the sincerity of her statement, staring down at her older sister's calloused hand. "Remember when our favourite super heroes used to come on the tv, and you said you wanted to be just like them? That's kinda what this is. It's their fancy-shmancy way of idolizing us. So please, don't be upset about it."

Weiss nodded as she smiled, her older sibling mimicking her complexion as she patted her on the head. "Now, let's get back to the funeral, it should be starting soon."

 _To Be Continued._


	33. Forgiveness

**Heyo. Welcome back to another chapter. Now I'd like to apologize dearly, I completely forgot about Thanksgiving (Which is today, or Oct 9** **th** **, for those reading this later). It literally crept up on me. I didn't even realize it until the weekend came up. I wanted to make special chapters for all the holidays -which I've done my best to keep up with- But Thanksgiving is the one holiday that seems to always slip my mind until the last minute. Not that I'm making excuses, I just didn't come prepared. I will remember to do the American thanksgiving, though, so stay tuned for that.**

* * *

Weiss met up with Ruby as the duo walked back to the funeral, where countless conversations about the heiress spread throughout the crowds. It became clear to the white haired girl that her actions didn't go unnoticed, and soon, she was the topic of every group conversation around them. Nevertheless, the heiress simply kept her calm complexion and continued throughout the crowds without a care to any of them. She was there for her family, and nothing else. Their opinions mattered little to her, and she could care less about her aunt and cousins. They were mere obstacles for her to go around in her view.

Will came into sight as he motioned the two to come over, noting that aunt Frost and her demon spawn had already left. The White Rose couple approached him as an unhappy look spread on his face.

"Weiss, what did I say earlier, about our family? –"

"She insulted both Ruby _and_ myself! I wasn't going to just stand there and be desensitized to the poisonous shit that comes out of her!"

"So you couldn't have just asked her calmly to show you some more respect, instead of shouting it for all to hear? Now everyone in the family's talking about it."

"Good, I'd rather stand up for my beliefs, than hold a stoic silence to her. She's belittled me all my life since I've known her, but I will not tolerate it any longer." Weiss rebuked, standing proudly as she grasped the younger girl's hand.

Will sighed as she grasped his daughter's shoulder. "I know you are a strong, independent girl. No, woman now. So I can't really scold you for your actions," He spoke as the alabaster girl looked to the man in attentiveness. "Which is why I will ask you to act responsibly. You are a big girl now; you need to make your own decisions. So please, before you act on something, think about the outcome that may accompany it. _'Reflect and Reproach'_ as I like to say."

Weiss nodded in agreement as the duo smiled, before Will turned his attention to Ruby. "I'd also like to thank you for sticking with Weiss. As you can see, our family is a bit of a nuisance. I know they can be very…-"

"Insufferable." Weiss interjected.

"I was gonna say a royal pain," The man continued. "Regardless, we aren't quite in good terms with them, so I apologize for any ill spoken words to you."

"It's alright, Mr. Schnee. Every family has its problems." Ruby spoke earnestly.

The trio noticed the crowd beginning to move to the center of the graveyard as Will checked the time. "The funeral's gonna start soon. Let's get moving." He spoke, motioning the girls to follow as they all walked down to the service.

Weiss walked around the crowds of family members -accompanied by her redhead and her father- to where Winter and the rest of the Schnee family were standing. Weiss hadn't thought much about it, but she remembered her father telling her it was gonna be an open casket for her mother's funeral. Weiss' eyes widened the moment she laid eyes on her mom. It was difficult to figure out the words to describe the heiress' feelings, but as soon as she saw her face – a glowing complexion to her as she laid in the coffin, as though she was simply asleep and wouldn't wake up – a single tear burned in her left eye, streaking down her face as she looked in pure awe. A pain tinged in Weiss' heart, and the heiress fought back as best she could, but every bad omen she had about her mom seemed meaningless to her, now that the truth was revealed. She tried to fight any emotion she felt about her, until she remembered something. The letter she had written to her right before she died. She could hear her mother's voice, speaking about the letter to her, as if she said it to her directly.

" _Dear Weiss."_

' _No, god no. Don't start!'_ Weiss' internal thought pleaded, she could feel her heart swelling with the pain and emotion that came with the letter. But her mind had a different opinion, as it seemed to continue to bring up the note, breaking the heiress' attempts.

" _I wanted to speak to you in person,"_ Snow's voice continued. _"But I know I have lost that privilege awhile ago."_

Weiss' face scrunched, more tears beginning to well up as she remembered the small details of it, making her cry more.

" _There's something I have to say to you. Something I should've said so long ago when I was still your mom. I am so, so proud of you."_

A quiet sniffle left the heiress. Her heart felt like it was burning, it was on fire. Filled with the sorrow and the hatred combined. Weiss let out a few staggering breaths, trying to alleviate the growing fire in her chest.

" _I'm not asking for your forgiveness, Weiss. I've lost that right a long, long time ago. You are perfect, just the way you are,"_ Snow continued. As Weiss looked to her, as if to see if she was truly saying it, if her chest was still rising and lowering rhythmically. Trying to believe she was still there. _"Just know that I will_ _ **always**_ _love you. I know I haven't shown you that, and the biggest regret in my life was not being a mother to you."_

"Stop…" Weiss whimpered softly, begging whatever entity that was controlling her to end her torment. _'Please, dear god, stop the voice!_ '

" _You make me so happy. I love you. My precious, little snowflake. And I always will,"_ Snow finished, Weiss felt a hand on her head, opening her eyes as they widened in disbelief. Snow's ethereal hand, resting on her forehead. Her transparent face in front of her forming a smile as a single tear streaked down her left cheek.

" _Goodbye, Snowflake."_

And just like that, Snow's celestial form started to fade, floating up to the sky above as Weiss saw her smile for the first, and final time. That's when she felt it, her heart seemed to clench. She brought her hands to her head, feeling the spot she last touched it. Time seemed to slow down, the voices around her fading away as she closed her eyes, before looking to her mom in the casket once more. It was at this moment that her eyes took in the last image of her mother, the last time she'd truly ever see her again. It sunk inside of her as the pool of emotions, the flooding in her heart, finally cracked and imploded on itself. Weiss stepped back a couple feet, before falling to the ground as she clutched her head in a vice grip. Her breathing ran wild as her vision shook madly, and Sweat started to drip down her body. She felt someone grab her by the shoulders, but couldn't make out the face, nor the voice. All she could register was being her body being whisked away, as her mind finally fell away,

Along with her shattered heart.

* * *

Weiss awoke slowly to a dusk-lit room. She opened her eyes calmly, before her left eye stung with a sharp pain as she cupped it. Weiss relaxed her body, trying to open her eyes again. This time, she was only able to open her right eye as she started to scan the room. She quickly noticed she was back in the funeral home, laying down on one of the beds from what she would assume was on the second floor. All of a sudden, the door to the room opened as Ruby walked into the room, instantly noticing the awoken heiress as she rushed over frantically.

"You're awake!" Ruby said as she grabbed the heiress' arm. "Can you hear me? Can you speak baby?"

"Y…yes." Weiss said quietly, staring at the redhead's sickly-worried look.

"Oh thank Oum you're okay! I was so scared!" Ruby said as tears started to well up in her eyes. She suddenly sprung forward as she wrapped the white haired girl in a tight hug.

"W…what happened?" Weiss asked calmly, getting the girl to let up as she sat in the heiress' lap and wiped her tears.

"Don't you remember what happened?" Ruby asked in shock, earning a shake from the latter.

"You had a full-blown panic attack."

Weiss' eye widened in disbelief as she looked down, letting Ruby continue. "You were standing at the service. When all of a sudden, you started twitching and panting frantically. I tried to calm you down, but you didn't seem to hear anything. It was like you were in your own world. All of a sudden, you just collapsed on the ground, grabbing your head and breathing like you just ran for your life. Will had to carry you back to the funeral house, after that you passed out."

Weiss listened in shock as she tried to remember the events, but everything was a giant blur to her. "Did… did I say anything?" The white haired girl asked.

"Not much. You kept repeating 'no' and 'stop', but other than that, nothing."

"Wait, it's now dusk. Does that mean...?" Weiss asked the redhead, her giving the heiress a nod.

"The service is over. You slept through the remainder of it." Ruby stated, earning a dampening look from the latter.

Weiss looked down in defeat, her eyes starting to well up as tears streaked down her face. Ruby scooted closer as she wrapped the girl in her arms, coursing Weiss' hair as the latter returned the hug. Weiss pressed her forehead to the younger girl's shoulder as she continued to console her, whispering calm words into her ear that soothed the heiress greatly as she started to lull back to sleep. Weiss had to fight the urge, though as she rose up from the redhead's shoulder finally. "Thank you Ruby." Weiss said, looking at the girl with empathy.

"Your welcome, my lady." Ruby spoke, feigning a regal bow as the heiress laughed. The young redhead smiled, before a set of hands pulled her chin up and her head closer as the latter pressed a soft kiss on her lips. Ruby's body jolted from the sudden movement, but soon relaxed as she returned the pressure. The duo continued to kiss for what felt like forever, though neither wanted it to end. But, as fate would have it. The sudden opening of a door sent a jolt through both parties.

"Ah, how's my darl-oh JESUS, DEAR OUM!" William yelled as he averted his eyes from the two macking in the bed.

"AH, WILL- I !" Ruby cried as she flailed like a panicked deer, shooting out of the bed in a flurry of petals as she waved her hands out in defence. "I-I-I wasn't- it's not what it looks like!"

Will held his hands out in a halting manner as he turned back. "It's alright, I had forgotten to knock," He stated, though still looking away from the duo. "Just, came here to see if Weiss was up yet."

"We weren't- I mean we were only making outIswear!" The redhead replied in a flustered tone.

"Why'd you have to blurt it out so forwardly?!" Weiss exclaimed.

William sighed as he turned around. "In any case, the family's heading down to the after-service dinner. Mark is waiting for you, but you don't have to come if you don't want. We've carpooled with Winter, but she's decided to drop us off and then head home."

He opened the door again. "I would like it if you did stay for at least the dinner, I've hired the best catering business in Atlas. But after that incident with Aunt Frost, I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want to come." He concluded, closing the door as an awkward silence dawned upon the duo.

* * *

The duo finally left the funeral house as they strolled down the dusk-lit path to the parking lot. The place looked a lot emptier, with the family members gone to the after-service dinner. It was just her and Ruby, which she cherished most about the whole day. Weiss was growing sick of the whole outcome of the day. Exemption of the parts where Ruby helped to coax the girl of her troubles. Despite all the problems and ordeals her mom's half of the family reaped, there was one silver lining that she'd never thought to come to. As she neared the parking lot, the heiress stopped in her tracks.

"You go on ahead, Ruby," Weiss stated, earning a confused look from the girl in question. Weiss simply turned to her mom's coffin, which was waiting idly to be buried soon. "There's one last thing I have to do, before we go."

Ruby stared at the girl quizzically, not understanding at first, until she saw the coffin in the background. With an understanding 'oh', Ruby gave her an affirming nod as she walked closer to the latter. "Okay, I'll tell Mark to wait for you." The crimson girl spoke, cupping the heiress' cheek as she gave her a considerate kiss. They quickly separated as she gave Weiss a reassuring nod.

"Thank you." She responded, giving the latter a smirk before turning back to the task at hand, the final task.

Weiss walked across the graveyard, to the lone casket that sat in the midst the tombstones. She recognized the layout as she remembered the crowds of people gathered around the area. It was strange to her, how all of those family relatives came to the service, despite not even knowing her. They were only bound by blood, and most of them had never even met Snow before. Regardless, she knew that they were basically in the same boat as one-another. Using their parents' wealth to keep the multi-billion lien business in the name. Though some had also chosen to take the sport of hunting as well –mainly, those close in aunt Frost's portion of the family, and the relatives close to them- they were merely competing in what they thought was a game, ripping off the hunter's name, along with the Schnee's. The only one in the whole entirety of the family tree that actually took hunting seriously was Snow, her mom, and they practically mocked her for her choice in raising her daughters, for giving them a life besides office work. It sickened Weiss how they could so easily mourn the loss of her, even when they shunned her away. She hadn't remembered ever hearing them, but she could remember quite well the amount of frustration they caused Snow. And thus, why she never really saw them all that much growing up. The one thing she hated the most about it was the fact that it took her until today to remember it.

The heiress walked along the now empty graveyard, where her mother sat to rest. She remembered the people, all gathered around her, though she couldn't tell if anyone had even shed a tear, besides her family. A calm wind wisped in the trees around her as she trotted closer to the casket, opening it up as she saw her mother for the last time. Her eye widened as she could feel a sudden surge in her left eye, grabbing it suddenly. The surge didn't seem to irritate her eye, instead actually finally allowing her to open it as she took a moment to adjust to the lighting, before turning back to her mom.

Weiss let out a calm sigh, staring cautiously at the woman for fear the voice in her head would reappear. But the area remained silent as she finally gave her full attention to the woman. Her complexion seemed to glisten in the dimming light, her face looked peaceful as she simply lay in the casket. Weiss closed her eyes as she looked down slightly, trying to figure out what to say. But alas, that was the problem, as there was too much she wanted to speak about, and not enough time to express it. Finally, she had to at least convey something, if not, the most important thing on her list.

"Hello Sno-… I mean. Hi mom," Weiss begun to speak, looking at the woman for any sort of confirmation, even though she knew there'd be none. "There's a lot I want to say, but I know we're both on different schedules now, so I'll try my best to be brief."

The heiress let out a sigh, before continuing. Though the words felt easier to announce now that the introduction was there. "Father finally told me, the truth about you. At first, I hardly believed such a thing was even possible," She readjusted herself, holding her hands together in front of her in a formal manner. "But then I remembered your letter -the one I had thought you'd curse me out in- and I started to think, maybe what he said was true."

Weiss grabbed the hem of her dress, gripping it firmly as she looked down. "I started to think about my childhood, my life as the daughter of a Schnee. And I guess. No, I know I was too stubborn, and naïve to understand what you were trying to do. But now, I see it as something you've done that has shaped and fine-tuned my life for the better. And the worst part about it was it took me until you passed away to finally realize that."

The heiress could feel the emotions starting to bubble up again, though she was able to suppress them as she closed her eyes. "I thought that I could control everything. My fate, my destiny. I thought I had a clear picture of everything. But coming out here, and finding out that everything I thought, everything I believed, was given to me by you. I would not be a huntress, had you not enrolled me and pushed me to be the best. I wouldn't even be here without you. You're my mom, and I wish I could've been a better daughter to you, instead of hating you for so long. I hate myself for that, and it's definitely something I wish I could've redone, when you were still with me."

Weiss let out a breath of relief, looking back up to her mom. "I guess, what I am trying to say to you is…" She paused.

"I… I am sorry. For not being a good daughter. I just wish… I could've said that while you were still here with me today."

Weiss fished out something from her pockets as she brought it over to the casket. Steeling herself, she picked up her mom's fixed hand that rested in the criss-cross form as she placed it in her grasp. It was a picture of Weiss when she was younger, a picture she had long-forgotten she even had. She placed her mom's hand back down gently, allowing it to stay firmly in place as she finally cupped the top of her hand. "You have my forgiveness," She concluded. "So rest in peace now, mother."

With that, she finally retracted her hand, taking one last look at her, before closing the casket for good as she did a silent prayer. She finally turned around, looking up in disbelief at the figure before her. "M…mom…!"

A ghostly Snow stood still, the heiress hardly believing her eyes. The ethereal Snow simply gave a peaceful smile, cocking her head to the side before slowly disappearing up in the air. Weiss reached up, trying to grasp at the transparent woman that was floating away. Snow reached out to Weiss, giving her daughter a smirk before finally evaporating in the dimming sky. Weiss watched in awe, as the atmosphere around her returned to normal once more.


	34. Special Chapter (Halloween (2))

**Heyo! Welcome back to another special holiday chapter. I'm on the ball this time for sure. I promised myself I'd make this in time for Halloween, I've paused all the other works I've been...working on. I had a different idea when I was coming up with this, but I think it still came out alright. I was gonna make an omake after writing it, but the chap's too long and I've run outta time. but** **yeah. I hope y'all have a wonderful time. and I'll see you in the next chapter.**

 **Story Notes: This chap's pretty long, but it's broken into the two segments. Also, contains Alcohol and other adult themes, you've been warned.**

* * *

Blake looked at herself in the mirror with unease. Staring at the giant puff of vibrant yellow that enclosed her that was supposedly called the 'ballroom gown'. Blake had never worn one before, for good reason too. She hated formality, specifically of the regal taste. So when the notion that Weiss and her went out to pick one for the dance, her stomach knotted immediately as an uneasy feeling spread throughout her. It took a lot of coaxing (and some promised catnip from the blonde) before she was even able to step foot in a dress shop. Several hair-pulling hours later, Blake had found the ideal dress for her to wear. Fast-forward to the present, and she soon realized she looked like a human Easter cupcake decoration inside of it. _'How did I even get in this mess?'_ Blake pondered, thinking deep about the whole event. Then she remembered: Yang brought up the idea.

The blonde had come back to the dorm with a page-sized poster in her grasp one afternoon, the title 'Halloween Dance' sprawled in jagged letters, trying to add some form of fear factor to it and failing miserably. There was a party and a couple's costume competition at Beacon's ballroom. The same place that had the school dance. At first, Blake had turned down the offer immediately; dances weren't really her thing. And finding a suitable costume to accompany it all-while concealing her faunus traits was hard. But Blake had forgotten Yang's incredibly effective persuasion ability. The faunus finally broke after a good 10 minutes of negotiation, and the notion of 'alone time' with just the blonde.

Then came the main topic: what costume would they wear to the couples dance? Fortunately for the faunus, Yang had already come up with a solution that also worked with her traits. The blonde decided to go with the theme of 'Beauty and the Beast'. And to Blake, that was alright. In fact, it added the bonus of not having to wear her bow at all, as it tied together with the whole look. But then Yang brought up a different idea, something that Blake had completely unexpected. As the brawler told her she'd be the beast, and her be the 'Beauty'. It had caught Blake off-guard, and when she asked to repeat her statement, she simply said, "I want you to embrace the other side this time." It was in those words, those words that felt sentimental to Blake that drove her to doing it all.

Flash forward to the present, and Blake was mortified by it. It felt weird to her, and she didn't quite like it.

"Do you need help?" Weiss asked behind the other side of the door.

"N…no," The faunus stuttered. "But, uhm… is it too late to back out now?"

"What? What're you talking about," Weiss questioned, finally opening the door as she walked into the large walk-in closet the group shared. "Oh my god, you look great!"

"R-really? I feel like a supersized cupcake decoration." The faunus replied half-heartedly, ruffling with the dress in a disappointed look.

"Exactly," Weiss replied, earning a frown from the latter. "These things are really frilly for a reason, they're supposed to look decorative."

"I-I don't know," Blake spoke with insecurity. "I'm starting to have second thoughts about this…"

A sudden grasp on the shoulder made the raven haired girl tense up as she looked to the area of the grip, finding Weiss with a confident smile. "Relax Blake, you look stunning in this dress. I wouldn't have picked it if I didn't think you wouldn't look beautiful in it. It is perfect."

"Are you sure? I-I mean-"

"Don't fret. By the time I am done with your makeup, your confidence will hit the roof." The heiress remarked, earning an assuring smirk from the black haired girl.

"Okay," Blake spoke, giving a nod to continue. "Thank you."

An hour later, and Weiss was finished. The heiress handed Blake a small mirror as she looked at the cosmetic work. Blake's eyes widened in awe at the work she done. Her face looked more refined, toned, amazing. With the added bonus of a lightly done dark-purple eyeshadow. The faunus practically gawked at the person in the mirror, astounded that she could turn out so magnificent. "You like it? You've been looking at yourself for a good 5 minutes now."

'It's… it's incredible!" Blake exclaimed. "H-how…"

"To be honest, you have a lot of natural beauty. I just simply stepped it up a notch and it did the rest."

Blake looked in fascination as she touched her cheeks, finding there wasn't much makeup applied on it. The ivory haired girl shooed the faunus' hand away. "Don't touch it!" She scolded, earning a guilty looking face from the latter.

Now that the whole ensemble was complete, the monochrome duo walked out of the closet area and into the dormroom, where Yang awaited patiently as she scrolled through her phone. Upon the sound of footsteps, she looked up to see the duo as her eyes widened in awe, getting up immediately. "Oh my god Blake. You look…" The blonde stopped as she simply took in the image of the girl, whom blushed as she turned away. "Beautiful."

"T-thank you," The cat girl replied as she clasped her hands behind her back nervously. It was now her turn to look at her girlfriend, and now she realized the same feeling Yang had when she saw her: awestruck. Yang had on a blue French suit jacket with yellow accents that ran exactly down to her knees. Black leather pants with black boots, and a frilly white French dress shirt. Blake was surprised at how such a masculine-looking attire looked so attractive on Yang.

"Wow, Yang. You look amazing!"

The blonde blushed as she turned her gaze. "You really think so?"

Blake nodded as she wrapped her arms around her, giving her a kiss before resting her head on the girl's shoulder. "You know. I don't usually go to these sort of events."

"Oh?" Yang replied as she looked down where the shorter woman was nestled at.

"I don't usually like balls, even if I was allowed on the same floors as humans. They only true time I was allowed was in a White Fang op once, and it didn't end on a good note." She admitted. "That moment was the reason I started hiding my faunus traits."

"I-I'm… sorry if I pressured you into doing this hun," Yang spoke, bringing her hands to the faunus' bow as she gently massaged the delicate appendages. The raven haired girl tensed up slightly at the sudden feeling, but slowly mellowed out as Blake started to purr on the blonde's shoulder. "I just, wanted you to-mmmh!"

The warm lips of her girlfriend pressed against hers as the blonde mentally jumped at the sudden surprise, but in a split second she realized what it was as she returned the even pressure. But the moment soon broke when a certain white figure cleared her throat, and reminded them of reality once again. The raven haired girl returned to normal as she wrapped her arms around Yang's left, giving the woman a smirk. "It's alright. Shall we go, my prince?" She asked in a regal-like manor, earning a small chuckle from the latter.

"I'd be delighted, my princess." Yang replied, guiding the girl over to the door as Weiss waved goodbye to the duo.

* * *

The White rose duo had decided on something different this Halloween. Or rather, fate chose something different for the pair. They weren't going trick-or-treating like the redhead usually did. Instead, they decided to stay in the dormroom. Or rather, that's what Weiss said when a sluggish, dizzy headed Ruby Rose got up out of bed the day of. "Ruby, you're burning up! You have a cold!"

"No I do-" was Ruby's response as a sudden horrific-sounding cough enveloped her, almost falling over as Weiss caught her and brought her back into the bed.

"You're too sick hun, you can't go out tonight like this." The heiress scolded, bringing the dampened looking crusader back into the bed.

"Oh come on Weiss...!" Ruby replied in a raspy, defeated tone. "I can't miss it! I haven't missed one in all my sixteen years."

"You're only fifteen though." Weiss retorted, earning a confused look from the latter before she shook her head.

"It doesn't matter! I can't miss it now!"

The heiress sighed, sitting down next to the redhead as she cupped her cheek. "I'm sorry baby. You have a cold, I can't just let you walk around in the cold night."

Ruby sighed as she looked away almost stubbornly, a great sadness growing in her. Weiss could see it in her as she gripped the girl's hand with her free one. "Perhaps. If you feel better later on today, we can maybe go out for a little while." Weiss compromised, returning the young huntress' gaze to her.

"R..really?"

"If you feeling well enough to, but there's no promise."

Before Weiss could say anything else, her lips were met with Ruby's as the young red clad used whatever strength she had in her to bring herself up. The ivory girl let out a sound of surprise, but soon returned the favour. The young candy crusader kept going with every last ounce of energy she had left, but was starting to falter as she soon couldn't hold up any more –despite how much she wanted to continue- The red clad soon stopped, though as Weiss caught the girl before she could fall, letting her body slowly drop, all-while still keeping up the battering of the lips as she soon straddled the girl. The passionate make-out was finally ended as Weiss remained above the younger girl, cheeks red as she panted lightly before a smile stretched at her face.

After the moment of love came the next question in the heiress' mind: what could they do together? At first it seemed complicated, not much came to mind when thinking about a lazy day. So she decided to ask her friends and comrades for any advice. Yang brought up pumpkin carving, or was second choice, as 'pumpkin pummeling' didn't sound like a very relaxing thing to the heiress. Blake suggested they make pumpkin-spiced foods, though Weiss could see quite clearly she was only saying that so she could have Some, Pyrrha brought up a walk in the park, though wasn't something they could do at the moment –as romantic as it sounded- Jaune's idea was similar to Blake, and Ren simply said; 'Make some tea', which made Weiss uncertain about what exactly was his idea of a day off. At last came Nora, and Weiss had expected some half-baked idea that wouldn't fit the requirements of a relaxing evening.

"Why don't you rent a movie?" Nora stated, catching the alabaster girl off-guard.

"wai-wha?" Weiss answered in a dumbfounded tone.

"Just rent a movie from the library and watch it at the dorm! Or put on a series you two like."

"Wait, I thought your idea of a 'lazy day' would be missing one out of 300 push-ups, or eating pancakes, or something like that?!"

Nora giggled as she blushed. "Oh please. Even _I_ have a day off every once and awhile. Me and Ren-Ren always catch up on our latest shows every Monday."

And so, with that in mind, and a questioning 'why didn't I think of that?' moment from the snow-white girl, Weiss went over to the library with her card in-hand.

* * *

Blake's stomach was starting to churn again. The duo finally made it to the entrance, where the other couples waited to get through the doors. It amazed the faunus how very little people actually went with the classical dress theme. Some were fairies, some robots, some were their favourite tv shows and movies. But there was little-to-no suits and/or dresses. It made Blake feel isolated from the crowd. And when she walked up with Yang, her date for the dance, everyone started to stare at the girl. Her anxiety was starting to bubble up inside her, and the second thoughts returned.

"Hey," Yang spoke, breaking Blake's train of thought as she looked up to the woman. Yang could see the stress in her eyes, bringing her arm up to the girl's neck to try and massage them away. "We don't have to go if you don't feel comfortable."

"No, it's alright. I'm okay." The raven haired girl replied, earning a skeptical look from the latter.

"Are you sure? You look like your about to bolt."

"I-it's alright," Blake returned. Snuggling up close to the girl. "I told myself I would try to be more open to these things."

"Okay," Yang replied. Stroking the girl's hair as the latter started to purr. "You tell me if you've had enough, and we'll go home."

The cat faunus nodded as the line moved up. Slowly, but surely, they were soon approaching the doors. When it was finally the bumblebee duo's turn Yang handed the bouncer the tickets, whom gave a nod in clearance as the blonde went in, with Blake in-tow.

The dance was alive as Blake looked around in shock. Crowds were conversing in the sides of the room, in the middle sat the dance floor. Where people were moving to the beat of a lively dance mixtape. The blonde tugged the faunus princess' arm, motioning her to follow as she complied. They walked over to the refreshments at the side of the room. Yang grabbed a couple plastic cups and pulled out something from her inner jacket pocket. Upon further examining, it looked to be a small metal flask as the blonde unscrewed the cap from it and poured it into the two cups. "W-what is that?" the faunus questioned.

"Trust me, it'll help you relax a bit," She replied. Pouring some more into one of the two cups as she inspected it closer. She put the cap back on the flask as she slipped it back in the pocket, now finally pouring the actual drink into the cups as she gave the cup with more booze to Blake. "Here you go."

The raven haired girl looked at the cup quizzically as she stared at it for a moment. Finally, she mentally shrugged. ' _fuck it_.' She said in her mind as she downed the drink in one swig. Her throat burned as she squinted, but felt a wave of ease flush over her as she returned to reality.

"Hey, Blake, Yang!" A rather high-pitched male voice called out from the background. The duo turned to said voice as a knight in white clad armour ran towards them. Yang jolted into action as she ran up and punched the knight straight in the gut, the victim letting out a low cry as he fell to the floor.

Pyrrha ran up to the knight as she squatted down, checking the man as she sighed. "Jaune. I told you not to startle people." She lectured, earning a low moan from the latter.

"I said 'hi' first…" He moaned, clutching the lower torso part of his armour.

Yang froze up as a wave of guilt enveloped her. "Oh Oum. Sorry 'bout that." She apologized as Jaune finally got back on his feet. He waved his hand in peace as he flipped the helmet up, revealing the scraggly blonde's face.

"It's cool. Had that coming." He returned, entwining his hand with Pyrrha's.

Blake finally noticed the couple's costume theme. Pyrrha wore a simple noblewoman's red dress, with Jaune in the knight's armour. It was a nice costume for the competition, as there wasn't a whole lot of classic costumes like theirs. The faunus nodded in agreement as she gave a smirk. "I like your costume's guys."

"Aw, thank you Blake," Pyrrha said as she did a small bow for effect. "To you girls as well. There's surprisingly no 'Beauty and the Beast' costumes in this dance, and it really looks like you two went all-out."

Yang smiled as she nodded. "Yep. I wanted to go for the go-oold!"

The blonde gasped in shock as she stared at the oncoming new couple's. several different couples, all of them in the same themed blue french coat's and yellow dress'. The bumblebee duo gawked in awe, it was like watching several body doubles enter the dance.

"Well. So much for 'going for the gold'." Blake spoke, earning agreeing nods from the group.

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

Weiss studied frantically as she read through the important paragraphs until it stuck with her. It was the most important subject in all her years of Beacon academy -albeit it wasn't something that was taught at the school- After skimming through the important parts countless times over, she finally was ready for the ultimate test.

Baking chocolate chip cookies.

The heiress had already made the dough and placed it on the pan, ready to bake once the oven was ready. She hadn't realized how difficult it was until she started to make them. Thankfully, she read over the cook book enough times that she had rehearsed what to do. And after 20 or-so minutes, the batch was finally complete.

Weiss went out to check on her girlfriend while the oven was still warming. She returned just as it alerted her it was ready, throwing the pan in as she set the accorded time. Now was the easy part, as all she had to do was clean up, which was her specialty. Weiss brought the bowl over to the sink as she started to fill it up, looking at the dough-coated spoon with interest. _'I've never tasted cookie dough before. And Ruby seems to love it… ah fuck, what the hell.'_

The heiress grabbed the spoon as she leaned against the counter, taking a whiff of it first as a blast of the luscious cookie smell wavered in her nose. Finally, she stroked her finger across the wooden spoon, getting a decent amount on her finger as she tasted it. The heiress' eyes widened in pure bliss at the taste, looking at the dough with delight as she ate the last of it off the spoon.

' _Oh my god. Now I see why Ruby likes this stuff so much. This is delicious!'_ the heiress thought as she continued to indulge the sweet.

"It's delicious, isn't it?" Ruby spoke from the other end of the kitchen, making Weiss jolt up as she froze. The young scythe wielder giggled as she walked over to her girlfriend, her blanket wrapped around the shorter girl just like her cape would.

"I-I uh, I mean w-what do you mean dear?" Weiss played, throwing the spoon in the sink as she finally turned it off.

Ruby simply walked over to her alabaster girlfriend as she grabbed her shoulder, rising on her tip-toes as she was now level with the girl. "You have cookie dough on your cheek, let me help you," She played, placing a kiss on the heiress' cheek as the girl blushed. The redhead licked her lips a couple of times, eliciting a content noise as she smirked. "Now I want more."

Ruby turned Weiss' head as she planted her lips on the heiress', the latter jumping slightly before returning the favour. The redhead took it a step further as she inserted her tongue, making Weiss gasp before a wave of heat enveloped her and she let her continue. She played around as the girl continued to whirl around in the heiress' mouth, before breaking it off finally as a strand of saliva connected to both girls' mouth's. Ruby panted lightly before fainting in the latter's arms. Weiss reacted quickly as she wrapped the girl in her grasp. "Hey, take it easy. You're still sick, don't push yourself too much." The white haired spoke, as the redhead finally wrapped her arms around the heiress.

"Well. You don't mind sharing the cookie dough though?" Ruby quipped sinisterly as Weiss let out an objecting noise.

"Oh quiet, you dolt!" The heiress spoke playfully as she flicked the younger's forehead, making said girl flinch before a set of lips planted on hers in a calmer, more loving kiss. The duo parted as they both smirked at each other, before returning to the task at hand.

The timer finally sounded as Weiss went over to it. She turned it off and opened the door to see beautiful golden brown delicacies appear before her. She smiled as she pulled the tray out and wafted them. Taking in a nice aroma as she finally closed the door. Ruby squealed in delight as she sped over to the tray, though was stopped when a hand smacked hers away from said tray. "Upupup. Not yet, they just came out," She scolded, earning a frown from the latter. "We have to let them cool first."

The alabaster girl led the redhead back over to the bed as Ruby whined. "Aw come on Weiss! I'm feeling well enough to walk now, why do I have to-eep!"

The younger girl was interrupted by a set of hands pushing her back onto the bed, before trapping her on said mattress as Weiss gave her a devious, lust-driven smirk. "Well then, I'll have to see if you're well enough to go out then." She said seductively. Ruby, not quite understanding, had to ask.

"H..how, a-are you going to do that?" The redhead asked as a sprout of heat started to build inside of her.

"Let's do a _thorough_ checkup," The white haired stated, making Ruby's cheeks flush red. "Don't worry,

The doctor will do her magic now."

* * *

The bumblebee duo laughed as the blonde carried the black haired princess down the stone pathway. Their cheeks' reddened and eyes misted as they stumbled down the walkway. It had been quite an eventful night for the duo. As Blake held a rather rewarding treasure with her.

"Maa-an. I d-didn't thhink, we would win this, shiny thing." Blake spoke in a slurred tone, holding a small-sized trophy up in the night light like she just won a race.

"I I know pussy cat. I thot we'd be done for, but we won it," Yang replied in a similarly slurred voice. "Wha-what did we win again?"

"This," Blake spoke as she brought the trophy straight in her face, the blonde pulling her head back to see it more clearly. "We won dis, bitch."

Yang and Blake had thought they'd be done for after all the same costumes appeared out of the blue, and so, they'd decided to just enjoy it to the very best and continued to the other party events. Finally, a moderately slow song came on that Yang had danced to once before as she pulled the faunus girl onto the floor to try it. Blake had rarely danced before, and it was made apparent when she had stepped on the brute's feet a couple of times during. But she soon got better at it as the dance continued. At first, they were mere people amongst the many crowds of other dancers. But soon, more and more people saw how stunning the duo was as they all started to circle around them. The bumblebee couple didn't even realize that soon they were the only couple dancing to the song. During the last couple verses, the melody slowed down as the faunus decided to rest her head on the blonde's shoulder. Finally, when the song ended the whole crowd started to clap and whistle. The duo was shocked at first by the entire circle of people, but soon, the blonde took lead again and they bowed. The couple's costume contest took place shortly afterwards. The Arkos couple had gotten the second place award. But the bumblebee duo was shocked when they heard their name's called at first place. Blake broke into tears of joy as she took the trophy, and then Yang proposed they go and 'celebrate' after a great night.

What the duo never expected was that they'd go barhopping around the closer parts of Vale. And even the faunus could see that Yang was shitfaced drunk. The couple didn't even know how they made it back at Beacon, all they could remember was the faint memories of the fun night they had together.

"th-this. Was the most fun, I've ever had. In my life!" The faunus shouted before giggling little a little schoolgirl and hiccupping.

"Yeah? I'm glad you had funn. Kitty." Yang replied, giving the girl in her arms a sloppy, but heartfelt kiss.

"I..I didn't want to go, at first. But I'm glad I tried this." The raven haired continued, making the drunk blonde smile.

"I'm glad you tried something new. I like doin' these things wit you." Yang responded.

"Meee too." The black cat replied, as the duo continued down the pathway home.

 _The end._


	35. The Finale

**Hello! Welcome back to another installment. It is (American) Thanksgiving time again, but this ain't a special chapter. I know, I'm sorry. I had no ideas for this Thanksgiving one. Surely, I could've done one in Patch or something, but I think I'll save that for Christmas. (Also, can we talk about all these Santa Claus parades and mall Santa's, and starting this goddamn Christmas shit in November? I'm not objecting to it, I like Christmas and all, but can we start the trend in DECEMBER and not right before Remembrance Day, you disrespectful shi-)**

 **Anyway. So in coming to realize the conflicts of this holiday, there's a couple problems that come with it. 1: I'm not American (If my many, many, many apologies and Canadian references weren't a dead giveaway), so really, I can't celebrate something that has nothing to do with us. It'd be like me celebrating Kwanza when I'm not Jewish (I think that's the right religious holiday, but don't quote me on it, I'm not Jewish). Don't get me wrong, it's here in our society, but it's just not what we celebrate. 2: It's also my mum's birthday (which, I hadn't realized until I remembered). So yeah, it can get pretty stressful when I have to juggle to main events at once. So instead of doing 2 separate holiday themes, like I said I would, I'll make one good one for both to commemorate Thanksgiving.**

 **So yeah, I hope that clears things up. I've said too much now, so at least have this chapter. I don't think I put too much detail in it, but yeah. Also WARNING: contains fighting and/or explicit language. But yeah, enjoy!**

* * *

Weiss stared out the window the whole ride to the dinner. There was a lot of things going on in her mind, between her family's antics, her mother's passing, and even the big picture of her future career. She struggled to make sense of it all. But the more time she tried to understand it, the more it seemed to build up inside her. It was annoying the heiress. The uncertainty within her was starting to impact her far beyond what she could see. The only person who could see it sat right beside her along the ride, and all she could do was sit quietly and watch her girlfriend stress about it all. After all, it wasn't her family, nor was she close to them. And she felt any interaction with them wouldn't help whatsoever. And so she kept her mouth shut and her thoughts to herself, hoping that her girlfriend's stoicism would come to pass soon.

The limo finally arrived at their destination as a formal-looking man opened the redhead's side door. The duo got out of the limo as the passenger side window rolled down. "Just hit me up when you want me to come pick ya girl's up." Mark said. Earning a nod from the heiress as the window rolled up and the limo drove out of the large parking lot. Weiss looked up at the building with disgust. It was one of her relative's estates. And the whole place was rented out for their whole family. There was a ballroom at the main floor, along with a giant balcony at the other end of it- which also overlooked the mountains and prestigious skiing attractions Atlas had to offer- The whole half of the ballroom was filled with tables and chairs, all decorated with white tablecloth's and small vase's of flowers, along with sets of fancy cutlery.

The doors to the estate opened as the White Rose duo waltzed in, noting how many people actually came to the dinner. As soon as they entered, the crowds closest to the door all turned to the newcomers as odd-looking faces painted most of them. They seemed to quiet down as they looked in surprise, as if finally noticing the odd bunch in the family. And it wasn't long before their whispering started amongst one-another. Ruby just-about shrivelled inside herself as her anxiety started to rise. Weiss gave a frown as she let out a quiet 'hmph', before grabbing the redhead's hand and ushering her away. "Come on, let's go get something to drink."

Weiss caught sight of one of the butlers with a tray of drinks as she took two, giving one to Ruby before taking a swig of her own. The champagne burned slightly down her throat, but soon alleviated as she took another swig. She brought the glass down with a breath of relief, before soon realizing she had finished the whole thing in two gulps. Though it mattered little to her as she placed the glass on a returning butler's tray and looked around the room, before looking at Ruby's questioning face.

"What's the matter?" Weiss asked.

"I… don't think I'm old enough to drink this," Ruby stated, looking at the glass concernedly. "Y-you can have it, I'm okay."

"Oh, just relax and drink up. It's just champagne." Weiss rebuked, almost sounding annoyed. Ruby took one last glance at it, before finally bringing it to her mouth and drinking it. She almost spit it out as she coughed lightly, covering her mouth with her sleeve.

"Ah, I see you've helped yourself to some of the finest champagne in all of Atlas," a young man's voice spoke, Weiss turning around to find Whitley. His trench coat and silk gloves finally removed to reveal a nice white tux and blue vest underneath it all. Weiss almost shuddered as she stepped in front of Ruby, getting into a defensive state. " _La Krystal_ is about 450 Lien a bottle. My parents had purchased a good amount in preparation for tonight's dinner, so do help yourself."

"This is your parents' estate?" Weiss asked. Though appearing as though it wasn't much of a surprise to her. At that point, she was more surprised they didn't run the all of Remnant, they were practically the icon of the world, most notably due to their involvement with the SDC.

"Well, it was, until they passed it down to me to take care of." He spoke walking with a devious glint in his eyes that made Weiss' stomach clench.

"Good for you," Weiss retorted, earning a frown in return. "Flaunt all you like, it's your family's specialty, after all."

A nerve struck in Whitley as his face turned to anger. "Don't be jealous, Weiss. You own the world-famous SDC, I own the _Bl_ _à_ _ss Estate's_ all around Atlas. We're a match set in heaven." He spoke, reaching for Weiss' arm before the heiress clutched his approaching wrist.

"One. I am **not** some kind of pawn to you. You are a half-cousin and nothing more. Two," She grabbed Ruby's hand in a firm grip before tightening her grip on Whitley's wrist, causing his hand to close. "I couldn't give a damn about your family of fakes and wannabe's. I love this girl right here," She held her girlfriend's hand up for him to see. "If I were to get married, it would be to her, not to _any_ of you."

"That's too unfortunate," a matured woman's voice spoke, Weiss knowing instantly who it was as Frost interjected in the conversation. Weiss let go of his wrist as she stepped back, the woman resting her hand on his shoulder. "You may think we're Blàss', but we've actually been accepted into the Schnee family, unlike you and your kin."

Weiss let out a snort. "Me and my _kin_ are the only true Schnee's. Just because you idolize us doesn't mean you _are_ one of us."

"Give it up, Weiss, and I might actually still consider letting you marry this handsome young lad here."

Frost cupped her son's cheek before walking around him to the other side, peering now at the small redhead that stood nervously behind the heiress. The redhead couldn't muster up a word if she tried, her mouth was so dry. Thankfully, Weiss was the one who _did_ have enough guts as she stood between her girlfriend and her aunt, a stone cold look on her face as she glared daggers at the woman. Said woman gave a sinister smirk as she just glared back. "I wouldn't-"

"Ah. Weiss, it's good to see you made it," William waltzed in, stopping the alabaster girl's statement. "Sorry to intrude, I hope I didn't interrupt anything."

"Not at all. I was just talking about the possibility of marrying my heir here," She spoke, tapping her son's shoulder as she ushered him to follow. "We'll talk more about it at a later time. Whitley and I have some guests to greet. Ta ta for now."

William sighed in relief as he turned to a fumed heiress, almost on the verge of exploding. "I, am almost _sickened_ , by the very thought of being engaged to that monopoly family, and you walked in the very moment I was gonna rip her a new one!"

"I know, I know. I saw the building tension, but I didn't expect her to do _that_ ," He spoke, though not helping the white haired girl's growing anger. "I just didn't want you two to make a scene, not in front of everyone.

"And WHY NOT?!" She almost screamed, though was halted by Ruby's grasp on her, reminding her of the present. "I want _nothing_ to do with her and her stupid family, and all you did was make things worse!"

"I had not expected her to come out with an arranged marriage! I would never agree to that!" He exclaimed.

Weiss almost shouted back at him, but a small voice in her head reminded her of why she was there in the first place. Her mother's passing was the only reason. And after that, she'd be away from them for good. And so, she did a few deep, calming breaths to alleviate the growing migraine she was starting to get from being around her family- which was also why she never liked hanging around them, it was bad for her health- "Fine. I don't care. They can talk all they want. The only true person I want to be with is right here."

Ruby tensed at the sudden realization of her being presented as she darted her eyes all around, thankful that the conversation continued as she looked at the ground solemnly.

Hoping the night wouldn't end on a bad note.

* * *

Dinner had come and passed by without any more problems, though that didn't help the heiress' now-agitated nerves. It didn't help that her older sister didn't come, nor did her step-family. She knew why, and she could empathize. She was only there because of her father's wishes to stay for at least dinner, which she had. And now that her duty was over, she was more-than enlightened to just go back to her father's place and take a nice long bath. She had messaged her chauffeur and was getting ready to leave. There was only one problem: She could not find Ruby anywhere.

"Uhm. I need to use the little ladies room." Ruby asked the ivory haired, the latter pointing down the hallway as she said she'd text Mark to go home. At first, the girl was a little skeptical- she had never been in a mansion before, and she was never good at navigating through other people's place's- And so, she found herself scanning every door for a girls sign as she continued down the long hallway. Soon, she couldn't hear the talking and the soft orchestra that played live in the background anymore. She started to get worried she had long passed it, though soon realized she had turned the corner and forgotten where to go. ' _Damn medication, always making me forget when I need to remember the most!_ '

"Lost, little rose?" A man's voice spoke from behind her, making Ruby jump as she almost wet herself. She found the voice to be Whitley as he leaned against the wall of the building.

"Y-yeah, I was looking for the little- I mean, the washroom." Ruby replied, almost shaking. _'How… did he know…_ '

"Ah, I understand. This place is quite difficult to navigate. It took me a few years just learning the common areas," He spoke, standing up straight as he paced his side of the room. "Fortunately, I know this estate by heart now. I could run this place blindfolded."

He motioned the redhead to follow as he turned back around, though the little rose stood still. "T-that's okay, I think I can find my way back."

The man simply turned his head to the side to peer at her, before giving a shrug. "Fine, have it your way. Good luck," He spoke, starting the slow walk his way. "Just don't stumble into one of our security hounds' room's, they get pretty... _playful_ , when someone enters their room."

The redhead mentally deadpanned as she looked at the many doors lining the hallway, her anxiety rising once again as she finally sighed. "W-wait!" She shouted, making the boy stop in his tracks. "C…can you at least take me back to the guest area?"

The boy grinned evilly, before turning back to the redhead with a nod. The redhead smiled as she jogged a few steps to catch up with him, walking down the long hallway. It ended finally as a set of white doors blocked their view of the next room. The white haired man opened them as they continued down more halls. The place looked a lot bigger than what Ruby had expected, which made her start to question just _how_ did he know she was here, more and more as they kept walking. She finally had to ask it as she spoke. "Uhm. How did you know I was down here?" The young huntress asked. Making the man turn his head to her as he pointed to the roof.

"There are camera's all around this place. If someone like you gets lost, they call me to help guide them back." He spoke, though Ruby could almost hear him whisper. 'like a hawk to it's prey'. She asked what he said last, though he simply restated the answer. And before she could restate the question again, a pair of glass doors opened as he guided her outside and closed the doors behind them.

"W..wait a second. This isn't the guest room." She stated, before she started to realize what was truly happening.

' _Oh shit'_

 _Meanwhile._

Weiss scurried down the hallway as she kept calling Ruby's name. She had checked the washroom to find her not in any of the luxurious stalls. Panic started to set in her as she soon found herself at the end of the hall, peering down two identical hallways. She sighed as she ran back to the guest area and started to look around the room in a worried, but composed stature. She passed by guests one after the other as she continued to search. It wasn't until she stopped to just calm down and collect herself before she realized what exactly they were talking about.

"So who is snow anyway?" a little girl asked.

"I don't know, she's supposedly a family relative of ours." An older boy spoke.

"…Snow was a fool, she brought the family businesses up, then decided to quit once it wasn't good enough for her." another woman spoke from the other side of the room.

"She's a nuisance to the Blàss family! She's lucky we even keep the Schnee name in this family."

"She should've passed a long time ago. Her and her offspring taint our names in shame."

Weiss couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. It was all around her, and she had just picked up on it now. It almost sickened her. more and more, the talk continued. It angered the heiress, so much so that she could feel it rising in her, like a pressure tank about to burst. Then, she heard a cry of laughter outside as she turned toward it, looking out the glass doors to see a giant crowd. The white haired girl had a hunch she knew what they were laughing about, as she started to pick up the pace, faster and faster to the balcony. She swung the doors open, almost breaking the glass as she continued to walk. That was, until she stopped as the sight left her frozen. There was her girlfriend, kneeling on the ground with her hands covering her head, her small cape she had on at the funeral was torn off as they stepped on it. And then just then, she could see a small puddle forming around her as she started to cry.

"Aw, look at that, you made her urinate herself!" One of the guy's in the group teased as a couple laughed.

Finally, the teasing seemed to end as they sashayed over to the other end of the balcony. Weiss ran up to her broken girlfriend as she wrapped the girl in her arms, looking at the damages done. They hadn't touched her at all, the only visible markings were of her cape, and her snow-covered knees from the snow. The heiress enveloped her in a firm hug, keeping the crying redhead as close to herself as possible. Tears starting to well up as well, as she pressed her head softly against the girl's collarbone. _'Oh god…'_

That was it. The final straw. Her anger welled up inside her, so much that it started to tickle her, making her laugh and growing very gradually as she approached the group of supposed family members. Her laughing finally stopped as she felt a small pain in her left eye, though lasting only a moment as she finally turned to the crowd.

"That's it! **I've had it!** "

People started to look over in fear as the raging heiress walked forward, though looking as calm as possible as she strode forth. "You people, are the _biggest_ insult to the Schnee family! None of you understand! You're all just a bunch of spoiled-rotten son's and daughter's who copied the fucking _Schnee_ name! Do any of you false Schnee's know anything about working hard to achieve your goals?! About doing something in life?! Do any of you even understand the amount of effort and sacrifice my mother went through!"

The small crowd that Whitley had around him seemed to die down as they turned to Weiss, a stoic complexion to her face with her head lowered slightly, emitting an intimidatingly strong look to her. Whitley let out a simple snort, though it didn't stop the heiress as she gave a simple darkened smirk. "You all talk rich, you wreak perfection, acting all snobby just 'cause daddy got a big company. But the one person in this family tycoon who found something more in this world than money, and all you do is mock her for her dreams, criticise her for her beliefs, and shun the rest of us who've found better things in life other than bank account balance's. So congratulations for ironing our last name into your family bloodline, dummköpfe!"

A part of the crowd gasped in shock of the sheer language Weiss shot at them as their complexion angered. Whitley walked in front of his Posey, his angered look turning into a smug smirk as he stared up Weiss from head to toe. The heiress would've had a shiver run down her spine from the sheer look her cousin was giving her, had it not been for her steeled nerves, and the few drinks of champagne. He simply smirked, disgusting Weiss even more as he opened his mouth. "That's quite the ironic speech, coming from the heiress of the multi-million dollar _Schnee Dust Corporation_ ," The white haired boy spoke. "You seem to forget; you are in the same family tree as us."

Weiss let out a snort, turning into a small, hysterical laugh as she slowly walked forward. "We clearly don't see eye-to-eye. The Schnee Dust Corporation, is _meaningless_ to me," Weiss spoke, earning a surprised look from the latter. "Just because I have the branded title of 'heiress', doesn't mean I live it. Truthfully, I couldn't care less for it. Because I've found something you brainless _fools_ could never find in your million-dollar mansions, something that my mother and _only_ my mother had dreamed of, in all of our family bloodline. _Something beyond money._ "

"Oh? And what might that be? A less-than normal life? A broken family?"

"My freedom."

The crowd of rich folk all looked at each other in confusion, making Weiss simply snort. "You see? You're all so brainless you can't even understand what I am talking about. Yet you've been shunning and rejecting me because of it. Because you don't see what _I_ see, and you try and make up for it by trying to pry away _my side_ of the family."

The heiress started to walk slowly up to the crowd, unsettling fear starting to pique in the crowd as they watched. "I look at all of you, and all I see is a family that _used_ the Schnee's, a family that envied our name. And when my family refused, you corrupt assholes used your specialty trait to try and control what you could not attain from us. _My_ mother saw the corruption your family was creating, and she risked EVERYTHING she had to keep balance."

The crowd just watched with wide eyes. Weiss stopped a moment to regain some composure, a single tear streaking down from her left eye. "Not only did she lose her birth family, but she lost her own family in the process. You people can't even _begin_ to understand the sacrifice she made. All in order for us, my father and sister. To live a life of our choosing. So you can take our name and you can take our pride and you can take our fame. Hell, you can even take the SDC for all I give a shit. But I will NOT let you arschlöcher insult my mom's legacy and her dreams. And this," Weiss turned, pointing to the now-resting redhead. "Was the final strand. And I will make sure you understand the line that you crossed."

The crowd all started to panic as the heiress got down on one knee. A strange surge of power started to build in her left eye again as she quickly looked to the crowd, her eye seemed to outline every single person in the crowd, until she found the one member she was looking for. It was weird. She didn't know what was happening, but it felt almost natural to her as the activated several glyphs, making a road leading all the way to the soon-to-be person responsible. The crowd acted in her favour as they all shifted away from the glyphs, creating a straight path to the white haired man. Whitley's eyes widened in horror, knowing exactly what was coming to him as Weiss bolted straight forward, meeting up with him in a split second before sending him flying with a straight left punch, all the way through the glass doors leading inside. The crowd all gasped in shock as those nearby the man shrieked in horror. Though the heiress cared little as she simply walked, through the broken doors into the guest area, where Whitley lay on the floor. A couple of members hovering around him, though they were too concerned about their luxury apparel to try and help him. Weiss simply strode forth, her dark glow continuing to emanate in her complexion as she crouched down for a moment to pick the injured man up by his hair and dragged him over to the other guests, all without even losing her gait. She stopped when she was a fair distance away from the crowd.

"FROST! SHOW YOURSELF!" The heiress shouted for all to hear. Awaiting only a moment as she soon tunnelled her way through the crowd to the front. Her eyes widened in horror as she gasped in shock and cupped her mouth. The alabaster girl simply raised the boy up by his head, a low moan in pain came out of him as she held him up like a trophy in front of his mother. "I hope _this_ will make you come to understand. I am not negotiating; I am not telling you. I am fucking _demonstrating_ to you, what a true Schnee can and will do."

The heiress brought the man back as she threw him on the ground in-between them, earning a sputtered cough from Whitley. "So go ahead, use our name, you disrespectful bitch! To all of you as well!" She announced to the crowd in front of her. "Steal what was rightfully ours! But just know that my mom and my family have things far beyond your customs. You shame her for her beliefs, yet she made the Schnee name grow. So to all you assholes that spoke ill of my mother, I dare you to step forward, take our name. I, Weiss Schnee. Daughter of Snow Schnee, will humbly see who is befitting enough for the title."

The crowd seemed to erupt in light whispers, though nobody dared to move as Weiss stood. After a good moment of waiting, the heiress scoffed. "That's what I thought. I am disgusted to be in such a family. So in case if anyone doesn't understand, I am finished with you. All of you," she spoke, looking around the crowd as her picture started to become clearer with everyone. "You want to cut us out, fine. But don't insult the woman who had far greater ambitions than all of you."

Footsteps on the shattered glass made the heiress turn calmly as a girl in her teens walked over to her, Ruby in her arms as she carefully placed the girl down. "P-please forgive me, miss Schnee." She spoke softly as she gave the alabaster girl a respectful bow. The heiress cared little though, as she picked up her unconscious girlfriend and turned back around to the group. She started walking, the crowd making a way for her as she simply kept going. One of the guards near the entrance opened the door as Weiss simply nodded and finally walked out, leaving her so-called family behind.


	36. Special Chapter (Christmas Day)

**Hi there! Welcome back to another special Christmas chapter! Wow, feels like not too long ago I made the first installment to the special chap series. Looking back, it's shown me how much shit I've been through in the last year. Finished high school, moved again, went back and forth from said new place to finish said school. And that's only the big events that I can remember. But that's enough of my ramblings.**

 **So tis the season to give blessings, and be thankful for the things we have today. And so. I'd like to thank all of you faithful readers and viewers for the amount of support and appreciation of this fic. From the newest members like Andrew and Redlikeruby, to the ones that have been here since the first story, like Ashley and GrnDrgnzrd. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for everyone's support, and I'm still growing. I wish to become great like some of the few great fanfictionists out there, but dreams have to start somewhere before they can be anything. So thank you all. Stay tuned for the new year chap. And to everyone**

 **MERRY CHRISTMAS!**

* * *

There was a cold nip in the morning air as people boarded planes and scurried around the facilities. The workers doing their jobs around the airport. Everything was going fine at Vale International Airport. Though there was just one problem, a certain select group of people who hadn't quite shown u-

" **HURRY!** " Weiss bellowed to the following team, waving them to follow as the crowds around the airport turned to the commotion "WE HAVE LESS THAN 10 MINUTES!"

"Run for it!" Yang shouted, the group following suit as they bolted down the airport. Ruby tried to bolt past all of them with her semblance, only for her to be grabbed by the back of the hood by her sister.

"Sorry sis. Can't let you get separated." The blonde spoke as she continued to run, earning a groan from the younger of the duo.

"I was just gonna go to the gates!" She whined, though the blonde was having none of it.

The team all turned the corner at once -Blake and Yang sliding across the floor before they continued the other way- as they finally saw the Check-in desk. They all pulled out their tickets in unison as they booked it towards the now-scared lady behind the desk, waving said tickets in the air like flag's.

"WAIT FOR US!"

* * *

"Phew. That was close," Yang spoke as the group walked out of Patch's small airport terminal. The group looked around the giant lot as they waited for their cab. "If we were 5 minutes later, I don't think we'd have made it."

"And whose fault is that?" Weiss quipped, giving the voluptuous blonde a smug look.

"I believe yours, actually." Blake retorted, making the ivory haired girl soon realize as her smirk turned into a more frozen look.

"… Oh yeah." She spoke. Blake was right, Weiss was in charge of getting her team ready for those sorts of things. And she was per say –she had her alarm on and had turned it up to ensure everyone awoke at the same time- Which made her question why she hadn't turned it on. But then she remembered Ruby's little seductive move on their way to bed that night. And Weiss forgot to set it when she went to the bathroom early in the morning. When they awoke, it was already almost 8. They had less than 30 minutes to grab their luggage's and any last minute items', and make it on time before their airship left. Thankfully, there was a small problem with the airship and their departure was delayed an extra 10 minutes. Giving them more-than-enough time to board.

"What gives girl? You saw something shiny or something when you were setting that alarm?" Yang joked as she awaited an answer. The heiress just blushed harshly as she looked away,

"Something… like that." Weiss replied, burning up from the reminder of the night she had. She simply walked forward before anyone could see or remark any further, hailing their taxi as she motioned the duo to follow.

The group looked out their closest windows as the taxi took them into Patch. The team basked in awe of the small-sized town, taking in the scenery for the very first time, and retaking the scenery for the two siblings. It seemed like nothing changed to them. There were still the spots the girls would hang out at with friends, the bakery on the main street. The one offset sign that had been hit by a driver one day and left it bent for years (There were no hazards with it, and the mayor, nor the owner, didn't have the money to fix it). It was all still there, awaiting the red and yellow clad to return.

"This place brings back so many memories." Ruby spoke, staring out the window in awe, as if it was truly her first time seeing it. Weiss just enjoyed the overexcited look her girlfriend had as she too smiled.

"This place is so cute and cozy, it's like a small community in the middle of a small island." Weiss inferred.

"Technically, it is a small island with an even smaller capital." Blake educated.

"This place sure hasn't changed, has it Rubes?" Yang said, ignoring the rants of the monochrome duo in the middle as she peaked around them.

"Nope!" Ruby replied excitedly as she almost squealed. "OOOH! I've gotta meet up with my friends back in Signal! I haven't seen them in DECADES!"

"You've been in Beacon only a year and a half, dolt." Weiss scolded lightly, earning a giggle from the latter.

The cab stopped on a dirt road a little outside of Patch. The blonde paid the fare as the rest dug out their suitcases and luggage bags from the back. Once everything was in order, the taxi drove off into the distance as the group turned to the pathway of the residency. A mailbox beside the trail with ' _Xiao Long/Rose'_ written in decent italics on the siding. The group all smirked as the two siblings walked forward.

"We're home."

The trek up was a little long, seeing as they built their home right amidst the forestry, but soon made it to the front as the siblings both reached for the handle, retracting said hands as the duo offered the other to open it. After a good moment of offers and polite manners, they opened the door and walked into the entrance of the place. They were greeted with silence as the duo finally gathered inside. "DAAAAAD, WE'RE HOOOOME!" Yang bellowed into the empty house, though no sounds came afterwards. The silence continued to hang around the house, until small gobbling noises could be heard from the side hallway. The noise grew louder, and suddenly more panicked as the thing started to run down the hallway. Suddenly, a large turkey scrambled into the kitchen in a frantic hurry as a blond man soon came around the same corner. "GET BACK HERE YOU FUCKING BIRD!" The man bellowed as he dove for the turkey. The animal dodged the attack as it booked it to the exit, though Blake was standing in the path of the big bird as she simply scooped it up. The man panted as he looked up to the duo, before a smile stretched on his face.

"Déjà vu, huh?" He quipped, earning a chuckle out of the team as the raven haired girl walked over with the bird in-hand.

"I believe this is yours." She spoke formally, earning a 'thanks' in return.

The man quickly brought the bird into the garage before returning in a comical flash. "How are my girls?" He spoke, the red and gold duo running up as they gave him a tag-team bearhug, almost squeezing the life out of the old man.

"OOHH WE MISSED YOU SO MUCH!" Ruby squealed as the blond man returned the embrace.

They finally unlatched off the man as he panted lightly, almost bending over. "My Oum, you girls have gotten stronger." He spoke, earning a giggle from the youngest and a half-smile salute from the eldest.

The monochrome duo watched in the background the whole scenario, taking in the sight of their girl's content faces as a strange feeling crept up them, a sense of longing almost. It was an odd feeling, coming from somebody they hardly really known. But their thoughts halted when they realized the man in question was standing in front of them, arms stretched out in a welcoming embrace. "And how are my daughters' girlfriend's?" He spoke in a fatherly voice, making the duo smirk as they too embraced the man. It was a much-needed gesture, as the ivory and ebony duo felt more at ease now, like they were a part of the family too.

Once the friendly greetings were made, the team brought their luggage's up to the siblings' shared bedroom. They opened the bedroom door to find both their beds -in their colour-coded sides- neat and formal, awaiting their return. Ruby jumped onto her bed, bouncing on it in a rhythmic wave before it finally settled again.

"Wow, this place never changes, but it always feels new whenever we return. "Yang spoke, looking out the window at the snow-covered trees. Her girlfriend wrapped her arms around the brute's torso as she sunk her face in her shoulder.

"I agree." She simply added.

"I love it here. It's such a cozy and welcoming environment," Weiss spoke, gently sitting down on the bedside where Ruby lay as she rubbed her stomach. "It's such a nice place to return to after being in Grimm-infested territories and campus grounds all the time."

Ruby nodded as a content smile stretched on her face, before grabbing the heiress and bringing her down on the bed beside her as the duo laughed and squirmed playfully. The bumblebee duo laughed before giving each other a smooch for the moment. Suddenly, as if on que, everyone's stomachs growled fiercely as they soon realized one key feature they forgot on the way to Patch. Which was followed by the group all moving to the door to grab some grub.

"KIIIIDS! LUNCH TIME-OHWAITONEATATIMEAAAAAAH!"

* * *

 _ **And now. A tale by DStone.**_

 _Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house._

 _Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse._

 _Though there was one particular girl, with a stealthy guise._

 _Whom doned a pair of bright, silver eyes._

 _This silver eyed girl had thought of the perfect trick,_

" _This is going to catch the clever Saint Nick!"_

 _With the speed of lightning, and determination like no other,_

 _she made her trap in 10 minutes or just under._

 _With the trap carefully placed, she awaited her prey,_

 _For she knew she was going to catch Santa today._

 _Waited, and waited, and waited she did._

 _But soon, sleep caught up before she slid._

 _Down onto the ground of her hiding spot,_

 _Legs sprawled out, and eyes calmly shut._

 _She awoke moments later, to the sound of a snap._

 _Getting up quickly and bolting to her trap._

 _Though the real man she was hunting was not there,_

 _She did catch a figure, with raven black hair._

"Aack! What the fuck!"

"Oh! Sorry Blake. Shoulda warned ya earlier at dinner. This territory, is S.C. territory," Ruby spoke, cocking her weapon as she held it up for the faunus cat to see. "And Imma huntin' a wil' Shanta."

"Wait, what's with the sudden southern accent? You know what, nevermind," The black cat spoke, fidgeting with the net atop her. "Can you get this net off me?"

"How do I know you're not the jolly old man himself, disguised under one of my teammate's clothes and a wig?"

"Ruby, I was just coming down for a cup of milk. Yang said it was okay-"

"AHA! So you admit it! You wanted the cup of milk!"

"…and, possibly… some of those tuna fish crackers the blonde put in the pantry."

"Okay, you're clean." Ruby spoke deflatedly, grabbing the rope that coincidently led to the ceiling as she hoisted it. Blake walked out of the trap as the redhead was resetting it. She held the rope as the black cat went back out with the cup of milk and the fish crackers in hand, walking back up the stairs as she said goodnight and good hunting to the young girl.

"Okee dokee. Back to the story. Narrator!"

 _*Ahem* Right._

 _So the first catch of the night wasn't so great,_

 _But the night was still fresh, so it wasn't too late._

 _And so, the young girl set the trap just right,_

 _And crept back into her spot, lit by the moonlight._

 _She hunkered down, with her gun at the room_

 _And waited for Nick to meet his doom._

 _Time went by, without a trace,_

 _And soon, she was back in the dreamland space._

 _Dreams of looking cool, and kicking grimm ass,_

 _While killing each and every one in the mass._

 _Her dream was halted when a thud could be heard_

 _Sprawling back up to find it was her deard._

"'Deard'? are you kidding me?"

 _Hey, I'm trying here. Couldn't think of a Rhyme, so kindly Shuteth Upith._

"Whatever." The young S.C. hunter spoke, getting up to see what she caught in her trap. When she arrived, all she could see was a blond wiggling and writhing around in the net.

"What the hel-WHO PUT A GODDAMN NET ON OUR CEILING?!" Taiyang spoke, sounding not too pleased with the turn of events.

"Oh, sorry daddy," Ruby spoke. Reeling the net back up as the man was finally visible. "It's Santa Claus season, and I got my tags."

The redhead quickly noticed the gift-wrapped boxes all around the man, quickly realizing she might've just released her prey as she pointed her gun at the man. "WAIT! What's with all these presents around you? Give it up, you're the real jolly bastard, aren't you?!"

"Wha-no! I'm your dad, Oum sakes. I was just placing some last-minute gifts under the tree." He spoke, though the redhead remained unconvinced.

"Riiiiight. You and I both know that's Santa's job, so cut the crap, why don't ya?"

"What? I'm like 100 pounds soaking wet. Plus, I gotta help the man out. He's gotta deliver presents to every child on Remnant, the least I can do is help take the work load off of him." the blond man spoke, placing the presents under the tree before returning.

"Why the hell would you do that?! He's a thief! He takes cookies and milk from everyone and they just let him! Some even make reindeer food! What the hell is REINDEER FOOD?!"

"Look, cookies and milk doesn't even cover half of what he returns. He gives presents to every family under the sun. He has to check the list of every human being on this world not once, but twice! Like going through the whole list the first time wasn't hard enough. I'd buy that man a house, with how hard-working and dedicated he is to his job."

Ruby thought of it for a moment, though not seeming to budge much. "Alright, he may be an overworked and underpaid old man, but that doesn't explain his true side. Like how come he doesn't get into shape? He works once every year, you think he'd be on a slim fast diet or something."

Tai simply massaged his forehead, a weighing sigh leaving him as he looked back up at his daughter. "Look, I'm too tired to argue this over. We'll have to discuss this more in the morning," he spoke. Patting the young girl on the head as he went over to the stairs. "Don't stay up too late. You get cranky when you're too tired."

 _And so, with the dad back to sleep,_

 _The young redhead waited without a peep._

"Hey! I didn't say go again!"

 _Hey, this is my story. I said 'without a peep'. So go back to your spot._

"Ugh. Fiiiine."

 _And so, the young huntress waited._

 _With the cookies and milk out, for Santa to be baited._

 _The little rose waited, and waited some more,_

 _But not even a step was heard on the floor._

 _Her eyes grew heavy, and soon it was time,_

 _Dreamland was awaiting her since nine._

 _Her composure left, and sleep kicked in,_

 _And all thoughts of Santa flew out of her bin._

 _Her mind went to weapon mods, and scopes, and other toys,_

 _Just thinking about them brought her joy._

 _But her dream was halted when a light shone all throughout._

 _And she returned to reality, to see what it was about._

 _The sunlight shone through her window of her room,_

 _And she quickly realized her impending doom._

" _I missed him!" The young girl said, with a tear._

" _Now I will have to wait another year."_

 _Her thoughts soon turned to her bedside table,_

 _To find her gun, and a letter with a lable._

' _Dear Ruby,' the letter started out._

' _You tried to catch me again, without a doubt._

 _I saw the cookies and milk on the table, like a lure._

 _And I almost fell for it, for sure._

 _You are a crafty little one, young rose._

 _Maybe next time you'll catch me, I suppose._

 _Ho ho ho, merry Christmas._

 _I'll see you next year, P.S. I didn't forget your wishlist.'_

 _Upon mentioning, an idea popped in._

 _Running down the stairs, and into the living room den._

 _To see the Christmas tree, filled under with gifts._

 _Which made the young redhead's spirits alift._

 _Her team soon joined to see the whole sight._

 _So to everyone. Have a wonderful Christmas. And to all, a goodnight!_

 _ **~DStone~**_


	37. Special Chapter (New Year's)

**Heyo! Welcome to another special New Years chapter! *Checks calendar on phone* and it's already a week past. Welp, fuck. Y-yeah. This didn't go as planned. I'm terribly sorry it's this late. There's just been soooooo fucking much drama at my work. And, of course, I get fucked over because of it. Christmas and New Years have been so fucking busy too. The whole week prior to new years was just a steady circulation of get up, go to work, go home, get baked. I've been procrastinating for so long, and it finally caught up with me. But I'm coming back to regular working days now, and I'm finally able to catch time to work on writing again. So yeah. My sincerest apologies. This is just something I was able to whip together, cuz I'm outta time. So yeah. PCe.**

* * *

"Come on Weiss! We're almost there!"

"Easy hun, we're not in a rush!"

The red clad was energetic as always as she happily pulled Weiss along the sidewalks of Patch. The team was heading to the mall as the redhead skipped joyfully ahead, looking at the items in the windows of the shops and the new stores that had opened up while she was away. Occasionally, a store owner would come out to greet the local girls, some giving gifts from their shops, others just came to chat. Eventually. The group all made it to the mall in little under an hour or 2 as they examined the map together.

"Okay. We need to grab groceries and supplies for dinner, That'd be oveeeer… here." Yang spoke, pointing on the map.

"Okay. Weiss and I are going clothes shopping," Ruby stated with slight disapproval. "Which iiiiss… over here."

"Okay, we should set up a meeting spot for lunch." Weiss said.

"How about the food court iiin… 4 hours?" Blake suggested.

"Sounds good. We'll rendezvous at the court. Good luck." Ruby spoke. As the group set the plan in motion.

"Oh, and Weiss?" Yang spoke, making the heiress-in-question turn around. "Don't spoil Ruby too much."

Weiss snorted. "I'll try and contain my platinum edge card." She retorted, turning back around as she returned to her girlfriend's side.

With the plan in motion, the Whiterose couple made their way to the giant store at the eastern side of the mall. The place looked huge to the redhead as they walked into the entrance. Displays of all kinds, mannequins all with the latest fashionable apparel. And outfits of all shapes and sizes. It amazed Ruby how large it was to her. it made her feel very small in comparison as she felt overwhelmed by the amount of everything around her. The heiress caught on to this as she simply grabbed her hand firmly, easily guiding her into the shop.

"Uhm. W-where do we even start?" Ruby asked, looking around the place confusedly as she scanned around the area for any possible starting point.

"Here." Weiss simply stated. The redhead looking straight again as her eyes widened in awe. The whole section was completely devoted to Onesie pajama's, and pajama's only. The heiress smirked as she watched her rose's face light up with excitement.

' _Point, Weiss Schnee'._

 _Meanwhile._

"I am telling you, that was not on the list!"

"What's wrong with going a little 'off the list'?!"

"We can get the tuna fish crackers next time, right now we have to grab what we need!"

"But we _do_ need it!"

The couple continued to argue with one-another as the passerby's turned to the noise, though returning to the job at hand soon thereafter. The duo was going through the large list the blond man gave her like nothing, and pretty soon they were at the snack aisle to grab munchies. And that's when the cat faunus found her favourite snack. The blonde had no problem per say with buying for her girlfriend, but she had spent most of her savings on Christmas and the last remains on airbus tickets, and her father had given her a strict grocery budget, leaving only a little bit of cash left for bus tickets home.

"Why didn't you bring your wallet? I told you we were going shopping."

"I did! I... put it in the storage compartment of your bike," The faunus admitted sheepishly. "Which is parked… in your garage at home. I thought it was just the two of us, so I thought we were gonna take your ride!"

"Well, I only have enough money left over for bus tickets home and for lunch. There isn't enough left over to buy all 3." Yang spoke, taking the edibles and putting them back on the shelf as the raven haired faunus frowned. Blake sighed as the couple continued to shop, finding the last of the items in a pinch as they finally went to the checkout.

Once the groceries were paid for and everything was done, the duo made their way to the food court. The blonde pushed the large shopping cart filled with groceries as the black cat followed suit behind her. Though her mood remained sullen the whole way to the food court. She wasn't stuck-up per say, but she hadn't seen her favourite food since she was young. She knew it wouldn't be the last time, though. And so, she tried to brush it aside and move on as her and Yang finally arrived at the food court.

The duo caught sight of the Whiterose couple as they made their way over to them, getting their attention quite easily as they regrouped. "Ah, long time no see." Yang quipped as she saluted to them.

"Likewise." Weiss returned as she smirked. The blonde noticed the many different bags, all donning the same logo on it. Yang sighed as she glared at the ivory haired girl.

"Weiss! I told you, don't go overboard!" The brute scolded. Making the heiress huff.

"Hey. I needed a few new outfits too, you know," She replied, waving her hand in a sign of peace. "Besides, you needn't worry about money. I am more than content to help pay. It's the least I can do for your family's plentiful hospitability."

"Hey, you're always welcome at our place," Ruby spoke, grabbing the heiress' arm lightly as she looked to her, then Yang. "Right?"

The blonde nodded as she smirked.

"Enough of this though, let's go grab some grub!"

* * *

After lunch, team split up as the bumblebee duo left the groceries with their team's counterpart. Blake told them she had a surprise waiting and would see them back at the house. Which left the duo to take the overabundant load of groceries home in about 1 trip. Bad news was no taxi could fit all the groceries and the 2 girls in the same trip, but fortunately for them, the redhead knew the owner of the mall. After a little talk and some easy negotiations with the man (Who could resist those silver eyes?), they convinced him to take the cart home, in promise that she'd return it by tomorrow. And so, the duo-

"Maaan, I'm tired already!" Ruby whined as she slumped her chin on the front of the cart.

"You're not even pushing this damn thing! Do you realize how heavy the groceries and your body mass is combined?!" Weiss retorted, pushing said cart as the redhead sat amidst it.

"I told you, We'll switch up when we reach halfway!" The redhead returned.

"I Thought you meant on the way back to the mall?!"

The heiress finally stopped as she panted lightly, gripping the handlebar like a support as she bent over. "This… isn't working," The white haired girl spoke, wiping sweat off her brow as she looked to the cookie crusader. "You're gonna have to get out."

"Aww, but Weiss! There's a hill not too far away, it'll be easier soooon!" The young rose pouted. Though the heiress wasn't too hard-pressed with having to still push her. "Pleeeease Weiss? There must be some trick to making this move without me having to!"

"Not at the mome-" Weiss went to respond, until an idea struck her. With said idea in mind, she simply activated her glyph as it appeared right underneath the bottom of the cart. With a simple push, the glyph took care of the rest as she hopped on the back end of it, letting her work do the… work as she rode atop it.

"There we go," The heiress spoke as she hopped inside the cart itself. "Why didn't I think of this sooner?"

Suddenly, karma soon kicked in as it soon started to roll faster with the descending hill. She soon saw her next challenge in front of her: the civilians trekking along, backs turned to her as she had to think fast. With quick thinking, she regained control of the cart as she grabbed the sides, leaning left as it actually started to move with her body.

"Ruby, help me steer this thing!" She commanded, the redhead complying as she too leaned, missing the pedestrian completely as the other 2 came up quickly. The duo leaned right, then left again as they veered around the people, nearly missing them by an inch as they continued.

"why'd I think this was a good idea?!" The heiress bellowed, dodging another person as the duo soon made it to the flat slope.

"This is so much fun!" The younger huntress exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her worried girlfriend as she giggled, chanting 'let's go again, let's go again!'. Soon, the heiress' worry turned to delight as she continued the journey back to the house.

 _Meanwhile_

"Okay, okay Blake, hold on. You have me blindfolded, and you're running too fast!" The blonde spoke, guided by her faunus girlfriend as she ran towards the escalators, eager to get to the top. And for good reason, about a week ago, right after Christmas, Blake had received a call from someone she hadn't seen in a long time. Their 'quick chat' turned into a few hours as they caught up with one another. When Blake told the person where she was staying, they lit up with shock and surprise. Long story short, the man decided to come down to visit, in hopes to reunite with an old friend as well.

"Blake, I know you said it was a 'surprise', but isn't this a little overboard?" Yang spoke, about to take off the blindfold, only to be swatted away by the black cat's hand.

"No, trust me. It's a very different surprise, you'd figure it out if you saw what's around you."

"Why, what's around me?!" The blonde started to panic, looking around the place as she tried to swat and search. Only for the faunus to continue to pull her to her destination. Once the duo arrived, the faunus sat her down as she waited for the person to arrive.

"Can I at least take it off now?" Yang questioned, looking around for her faunus girlfriend to answer.

"Now you can, yes." The black cat responded, standing up as she finally saw the man she was looking for. With a smile on her face, she ushered her blonde girlfriend to stand as she brought her over to the man.

"Okay, okay. Just a second honey!" The blonde replied, finally taking off her blindfold as the first thing she saw was a burly man, dressed in purple coat and a white sweater, along with black hair and a beard. The man looked familiar for some reason, as the bright amber eyes glared at her. "W-who's this?"

"Yang. This is my father." Blake said, the brute in question's eyes widening as she froze up.

"O-oh, Mr. Belladonna, I-I mean it's nice to meet you sir!" the stuttering blonde spoke as she bowed, earning a confused look from the man.

"Dad, this is my girlfriend, Yang Xiao Long!" Blake replied earnestly. The man now peering at the blonde with vibrant golden daggers for eyes. Yang felt herself growing smaller from the man's presence, as the silence felt like it could drown her.

"So, you're my daughter's lover," The tall faunus man spoke. Yang could only swallow thickly as he continued to stare down her like prey. "Yang Xiao Long…"

She felt the urge, the impulse to do it as she cleared her throat. "That's my name, Xiao Long's the game." She quipped, hoping to break the thick ice between them. Only it didn't seem to move the man at all, making herself feel more so awkward and regretful. That was, until the man let out a chuckle.

"Ha ha! I haven't heard that awful pun since I was in signal," he spoke, his laugh growing bigger and hardier as he walked over to the blonde. "It's so good to meet you, what are the odds my daughter would be dating a Xiao Long?"

"W-wait. You know… my dad?" The brawler clued in, earning a nod, followed by a smirk from the man.

"Why of course. Your father and I used to be rivals!" The man spoke, letting out another hardy chuckle. "Now, where is that old man? I haven't challenged him in ages, it's about time for another round!"

Blake's dad walked away as the bumblebee duo watched him. Yang sported a dumfounded look, whilst the raven haired girl simply shook her head. The two looked back at one another as a moment of silence dawned on them, before finally continuing.

"Ya know, this explains a lot-"

"Shut it, Xiao Long."

* * *

"Come on! You think you can take me?!"

"Bring it on, Belladonna! Let's go, here and now!"

"Alright, BRING IIIIITTT!"

"AAAAAAAHHHH!"

The team watched as the two dad's were locked hand-to-hand. each struggling to bring the other's arm down as part of another one of their 'rival competition's. Grunts could be heard as beads of sweat started to form on one-another's foreheads.

"Is that all you got?!" The blond man spoke, a grin piquing on his face as they continued to struggle.

"Yeah, go dad!" Ruby squealed, waving a small 'Go Dad' flag as she cheered him on. The heiress was locked on their battle, though nobody was sure if she was really watching or just off her own world at that point.

"Does your dad always do this?" Yang asked her faunus girlfriend around her arm as the duo watched them from the couch.

"Only when he's with his friends," Blake replied, looking back up to her girlfriend. "At home, he's a very polite and reserved. So I think this is his way of 'letting loose'. Or so you'd say."

"Oh ho, taking my quotes now, are we?" The blonde said playfully, earning a giggle from the faunus girl before receiving a quick kiss.

Finally, Taiyang's arm was thrown to the table as Ghira finally triumphed. The duo panted like dogs as the faunus held his hands up like a boxing champ. "This old man's still got it." He quipped as the duo laughed.

The countdown could be heard on the tv as everyone looked over to it, though without any drink to accompany it. Yang's eyes went wide. "Shit, we forgot the countdown!"

With that, she and Blake rushed over to the kitchen as they pulled out various plastic cups and started to fill them, with Ruby collecting them and placing them beside the two on the table in a flash. With that, they poured 4 more for them as they returned back to the countdown. Blake handed Weiss one just as it was time.

"Five, four,"

"Three, two,"

"One."

" **HAPPY NEW YEAR!** " Everyone shouted as they raised their glasses to the sky. Clinking their cups together as they celebrated the end of the year.

And thus, a new year begun.

The end.


	38. Diamant unter Belastung

**Heyo! Welcome back, it's ya boii Dstone with another fucking installment. I'm finally back with another Chatper for ya. I've planned this Bich for about a couple of months now, and I think this one's gonna be interestingly epic IMO, I'll say I got an idea off an anime I started (N-not that I'm stealin nothing. Everyone has a right to express a similar idea, specially good ones that, when used in adaptation of another canon, blah blah blabh-ok I think u get it), I aint gonna spoil it, though. So stay tuned for that. So without further ado, enjoy.**

* * *

Nobody really knew it, but something changed in Weiss the coming week or two after the funeral. At first, nobody really noticed it, everyone assumed she just needed time to mourn. Even the week after, when last weekend was long-gone in everyone's mind. Everyone seemed to be oblivious to it. All but one young soul.

At first, Ruby had seen the changes, seen it happen from her very own eyes. But she thought it was just a phase, and it would soon come to pass. But it soon started to build up: Weiss' routinely time schedule was more and more lenient, she rarely wanted to eat, and she was starting to drink more tea and coffee than what was considered okay. Her attire and hair was still neat and formal, but the woman donning it was the complete opposite. There were small bags under her eyes, along with the darkened shadow that came from lack of sleep. And her eyes held nothing more than a placid look in them as she seemed to drag herself to do practically anything. Ruby didn't know Weiss' grades, but her effort in class seemed to be nullified as well. She either slept with Yang in class, or just sat and pondered the whole week, which wasn't her at all, considering they had a small quiz at the end of the first week. Her usual self would've studied until the answers came to her, but it came and went by without even a single study session. To add to all the chaos that was plaguing the heiress, she'd get occasional pains in her head that made her jerk her hand to her eye, as if trying to alleviate whatever it was that was infecting her.

Ruby was starting to get really worried, to the point where she'd check up on her slowly corroding girlfriend almost every 5 to 10 minutes, just to check what was going on and what she was doing, carefully analyzing and jotting down the notes. She'd wait long hours of the night until she finally came home, pretending to be asleep and watching as the depressed heiress let her uniform drop in a sloppy fashion and slump into bed with her, without wrapping her arm around the redhead or even looking her way before she'd fall asleep. It hurt the red clad girl, watching her slowly fade, as if losing meaning in herself.

"It's starting to really concern me," Ruby spoke the next day to her other teammates. "Something's wrong with Weiss, something she's been trying to hide from us."

"What do you mean, Rubes?" Her older sister piped up, leaning against the wall of her side bunk. "She's still going through some grieving. It happens to all of us, you know this."

"Not like her," the redhead spoke, walking over to the window with her arms behind her back. "She's different, it's not like our mom's passing. She's losing herself, just like I did."

Yang's eyes widened slightly, while Blake was left in the dark. She didn't know how to approach now, though. So she sat quietly. It wasn't until Ruby turned back around to look at the duo before she remembered the page she didn't read. "O-oh, right. Yang didn't mention it, did she?"

"I… n-no," Blake spoke, looking down at her thighs in shame, before looking back up to her leader. "I-I'm sorry, for your loss."

"She died when we were young, but it left me emotionally scarred for life. Though it doesn't haunt me as much as it used to growing up. I know the signs, experienced them before. And Weiss' full change in behaviour is all pointing in that same direction."

Blake didn't fully understand it; she wasn't quite sure she followed. She didn't want to say it, but she had to get the clear picture. "W…what direction, are we talking about?"

"If this keeps up. Possibly suicide…"

* * *

Weiss took a long swig of her tea before wiping her lip with her hand. She intertwined her fingers together before planting her elbows in the dark mahogany table. A low tune played in the background of the café Weiss was at, though not many people were still around that late in the night. Her girlfriend and team were back at the dorm, and to be frank, she wanted it that way. She didn't want to be there. Weiss just wanted to clear her mind of all the things happening around her, as she continued to stare out the window into the darkened streets. There was just one thing on her mind, or rather; one thing she wished would come to mind. She'd been wracking her brain ever since the funeral. After all the drama and confusion, the heiress was left with so many problems, and unfortunately, no answers to anything. Weiss tried to push it away in her thought, even for just a moment of peace. But it filled her head, made her doubtful and seemed to tarnish everything she knew about herself. It haunted her in a way that she never thought would happen.

Her mother was no longer an influence on her, and Weiss thought that was a good thing at first. But with her discovering the truth, it seemed to poison the reality she was now living. She had grown up and trained to be a great huntress by her mom's intent -although she had alternate ideas and dreams of her ideal future- the only reason she truly stayed in it was because of her. And now, she was free to go into whatever she wanted, and it scared her to think so. True, she had other plans, bigger dreams than lugging her weight in the frontlines. But being a huntress was all she really knew how to do. And with that clear picture in her mind, she was left to debate with herself: go into something new, or continue to push for excellence where she strived?

"Excuse me," A young woman's voice spoke beside her, making the heiress jump slightly as she turned to the person who spoke. A dark toned barista waved her hands out in peace as Weiss finally came back to reality. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. I was just saying we're closing now."

"O-oh," Weiss replied sheepishly, standing up as she grabbed her still-half full cup of tea. "Could you put this in a travel cup?"

Weiss finally left the shop as she felt the sudden cool breeze hit her, making her shrivel up as she fastened her coat. The leaves were changing along with the season, the days were growing shorter and cooler with each passing by. Though it mattered little to Weiss as she started nonchalantly walking forward, as if on autopilot. One hand in her pocket, while the other carried the small cup of refreshed tea the courteous barista gave to her -quite possibly due to the large sum of lien in her tip cup at the end of a long day-. Her thoughts went back to the night of the funeral. And her talk with her father.

 _ **Around 12 a.m. After the Service**_

The silence loomed around the mansion in it's most peaceful time, the only sound coming from the heiress' old bedroom as thumping and pacing could be heard inside, followed by inaudible ranting and mumbles. Ruby could hear her going on and on, chanting toxic nothingness, as if the boiling point exceeded in her girlfriend and the contents were spilling over. It was scaring the younger huntress. She had never seen her girlfriend go off so profusely. She didn't know what to do. And so, she decided to just let her rant and hope she felt better the next day. She was about to leave, when a set of slow paced footsteps made her turn her head. She quickly noticed William's complexion from the moonlight, his face holding a rather calm complexion as he walked up.

"Ah Wil-I mean Mr. Schnee. Thank god, Weiss is starting to scare me she's-"

Will held his hand out as the other motioned for quiet. Ruby obliged instantly as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, little rose. I'll go talk to her."

"O-okay," Ruby replied. The man walked over to the doors of the bedroom. "Please don't be too hard on her. I know what happened was a little overboard, but this whole thing's been building inside her-"

"I know. I know," Will spoke, cocking his head over his shoulder as he looked to the young redhead. "I'm just gonna talk."

With that, the white haired man turned back to the door as he gripped the handle. Waiting a moment before finally turning the knob and opening the door. He entered the room finally as he closed the door behind him, finding a raging heiress walking over to her dresser again. Her hair flowing around like a free wave as she walked briskly over. Weiss finally noticed the other person in the room as she held her hand out. "Don't even say it! I know alright, I fucked up!" She spoke shakenly, as if on the verge of tears. "But I DON'T CARE! He mocked me, insulted me, and pushed me to the brink. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, he had to jump to the ultimate low and verbally deflate my girlfriend right in front of aaaalll of those backstabbing assholes! All of that and he had to just push the final straw, criticizing and making a fool of mom just because she had a dream!"

The heiress continued to rant, though it mattered little to Will as he walked around her room and sat down on her bed.

"What do you wish to become?" Will asked, simple and straightforward. Which caused Weiss to stop as she seemed to be stunned by the nonchalant question.

"W…what…?"

"You are the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, Weiss. You are also a beloved huntress. But now, you have the luckiest opportunity in your grasp: You are a free bird now, able to be whoever you wish to be. Go wherever you want to go."

William's words seemed to have resonated in Weiss' head, but with that, concocted so many more questions. "I should elaborate. I didn't mean for the truth of your mother to impact you the way it has, I am deeply sorry my daughter. I simply wanted you to understand the influence she had in a choice you were brought up in. But now, you have the freedom to choose for yourself."

Weiss continued to stare as she soon started to realize the potential behind his words. "S…so, what should I do?"

"Now that, my beloved daughter, is the million-dollar question," Will answered, before standing up again and making his way to the door. "And I wish I could give you the answer, but I'm not the one to make your destiny. You must make that discovery on your own."

The white haired man stopped as he turned to his daughter, seeing the realism and confusion in her face. He sighed as Will walked over to her. Resting his hand on her shoulder as she looked toward him. "But let me just say that this journey will not be easy. You will experience love and loss, obstacles to overcome. But whatever you do, you follow what you believe is right."

Weiss' eyes widened, before Will brought her in for a hug. The heiress returned the gesture instinctively. And just like that, she was alone again. hers and her girlfriend's bag's packed away for their departure the next day.

Weiss had thought that once they had returned that everything would be normal, it would sort itself out and everything would be normal again. But it seemed quite the contrary to the heiress. Weiss had all-but forgotten herself as she became obsessed with finding her true path, she hardly noticed that she was sleeping in more and more, and never seemed to want to go to bed anymore, she cared little about the assignments and essays as she continued the trek. What she also didn't notice, other than her growing consumption of hot beverages and her lack of appetite for practically anything, was the fact that everyone around her was starting to become miniscule, null, void to her. It was like she was repeating the same days over and over. It was driving her on a course of madness, and she did not care where she crashed. Her mood became more quiet around her friends, and more irritable around her teammates. Even her girlfriend was starting to frustrate her as she simply started avoiding her altogether. The 'journey' isolated herself from everything around her, simply because no one would understand.

On top of the ordeal with her self-discovery, Weiss was starting to have problems with her vision. In particular, her left eye. Every once and awhile, or in certain situations, her eye would surge in pain, though it was only small jolts that lasted about less then 10-30 seconds. Upon further analysing herself, it only seemed to bother her in negative instances: if she burned her toast. A heated argument broke out, anything on the news. What's more, it seemed to affect her aura as well, and she had no idea why. She felt the pain of isolation, the weight of the world on her shoulders, and the growing tension of her decision building up inside her. The reality stung her eye as she clutched it, finally stopping her trek as she looked up at the night sky. The millions of tiny, sparkly dots would've amazed her, had she been her regular self. And that's when it hit her.

" _Nothing feels normal…anymore."_


	39. Feuer und Eis

***Checks ending segment carefully* Welp, I think I'm going to go to hell for this.**

 **Hello, welcome back to he-I mean TWR. It's been some time, ik. I don't have much to say this week. So I just wanna say my thx for the continued support from my newest story, along with this one. It brings me pleasure to see you guys likin this (as dark as it gets… yeah, It's starting to get to the point where fans are asking if I'm okay. I'm good fam, but I'm glad the story's very deep. Means I'm doing it right). So thx for the support, to my old fans tht have been here since TOTR, and to my new ones, tuning in for the first time or the first story of mine.**

 **Thank you, and without further ado, enjoy**

* * *

The sound of the birds chirping rung throughout the heiress' mind as she started to awaken, finding herself not in her bed, but in a rather luxurious one, though unable to see where she was. A flood of anxiety started to arise in Weiss, and right on time, her eye stung as she cupped it. Though soon her memory returned as the worry mellowed out, though her eye seemed to continue to tinge in pain as she tried to open it again. The heiress got out of bed as she opened the curtains. Finding herself in a rather nice hotel at the top floor that she rented for the night. The daylight burned in her face as she squinted, though she seemed to get a hold of it as she blocked away the light with her hand, letting her loose, ivory hair caress over her unhappy ordeal of an eye as she soon got up. Her memory of the night was a bit hazy, but still intact as she remembered at least how she got there. Weiss made her way to the exit as she brushed herself up as quickly as possible, grabbing her jacket before leaving the hotel room and pressing the button on the elevator.

The heiress carefully stepped down the stone staircase as she turned onto the sidewalk, figuring out which way to her favourite café as she trekked onward. She started piecing together her night again as she started to figure out why she was there too. Remembering the bus terminal, and the vision she had. A gut feeling -one she hadn't gotten since her girlfriend's ordeal in the forest- she could hear yelling, shouting, an argument going back and forth. Yet she didn't know who. Nevertheless, it stopped her, made her not want to go back home. And so, she decided to find the closest hotel to crash for the night, in hopes to avoid it all.

Weiss was hit with a rush of warm air as she stepped inside the cozy café she was in last night. Finding her same favourite spot available as she sat down. Before long, her order was placed as she awaited the server to bring her food, drifting back to the forever-debating question that plagued her mind for the past couple of weeks. Though something else came to Weiss' mind, or rather, an emotion sparked inside her. It felt weird to her. like she was sinking without movement, fading without any transparency. Like being lost, but not caring where to go. What was also weird was the fact that she had no clue what it was. No true word to define what she was feeling, or even why.

"Here you are," The barista spoke as she neared the white haired girl's table with her tray of food. "Oh, hey. I remember you. You were here last night, my last customer."

Weiss looked up as she cleared off the table for her. "Oh, hi," She spoke. "Fancy meeting you here, didn't think I'd see you again in the same week."

"So, how are you doing this fine morning," The barista asked as she placed her food down on the table in front of Weiss. "Or evening, should I say."

"It's already twelve?" The heiress asked surprisingly, earning a nod from the latter before checking the clock on the wall.

"Yeah. About 12:20 now," She spoke, turning back to the white haired. "Slept in today?"

The heiress sighed lightly. "Something of that sort," She replied. "In any case, I'm fine, thank you."

With that, Weiss picked up her morning coffee as the barista waved goodbye, looking out the window as the citizens of Vale roamed the sidewalks outside. The heiress sighed as she continued to watch. Common folk greeting at the corner, a mom walking with her kid, a couple regular schoolkids strolled down the block, laughing and talking. It made Weiss wonder. What would her life be like, had she not have decided on being a huntress? Perhaps her life would be better, perhaps her career choice wouldn't be so much more difficult to make, had she been raised in a normal life, her thoughts seemed to side with her on it. Daydreams of herself, in a normal lifestyle. But then she remembered her family, her heritage. The people she had come to despise of ever since her mom's funeral, her sister's departure to Atlas, her parents' divorce. Her life had come in a flash before her eyes. The memories flooding before it suddenly stopped, startling the heiress in reality as she looked around the place. When she found herself back in the café, she looked back down at her coffee as the dark brew reflected her image clearly. Looking at the eye that kept on burdening her as she cupped it with her hand. Her eyes wandered around the place, before slowly closing shut as she looked down.

 _What... is the purpose of my life…_

 _Anymore…_

* * *

The door to her room creaked open as Weiss was finally home at last. And with good timing as well. It being only around 2 in the afternoon meant classes were still in session, meaning her team was still in their combat training course, leaving the white haired girl with less than an hour until she'd have to find a new place to go. The heiress fell onto her bed as she sighed. She'd had her coffee, but she still felt nearly exhausted. Her eye kept annoying her as every little glint of light seemed to agitate it, and being back at her dorm only seemed to fester it more. Though it felt natural now to Weiss as she simply let her arm rest across her face, letting out a deepened sigh before getting up again and making her way to the kitchen area.

The heiress made her way to the coffee machine as she went to open the Keurig side of it, one which she rarely ever used before. Though before she could even open the machine to make herself her own cup, she suddenly noticed. The coffee pot was full as the light indicated it was still fresh. It stopped the heiress, making her thoughts turn to the only option.

' _somebody's here'_

As if on cue, a sound from the couch could be heard behind the heiress as she turned around, finding none other than her partner, her girlfriend Ruby Rose. A newfound fear started to build inside her as the shorter girl started to walk over to her.

"Where have you been?" Ruby spoke first, her voice sounding more demanding than questioning as she continued to walk over to Weiss.

"I-it doesn't matter where I go." Weiss almost faltered. Turning her back towards the redhead as her body seemed to go into autopilot, set towards making her drink.

"Do you realize how long I've been waiting. Right here, on this couch," Ruby spoke as she pointed to said spot, though Weiss didn't see as she continued to pour herself a cup. "I've been worried sick Weiss! You've been gone for a FULL DAY!"

"Look, I'm sorry, alright?" Weiss spoke, turning around as she finally saw. The look said it all. It was weird to the alabaster teen, how her girlfriend's face could say two completely different things at once. But it did as she stared at her with both anger and worry. "I don't wanna talk about it right now, okay? I have a lot on my mind right now."

Weiss made her way to the door. She wished her girlfriend wouldn't, but she knew she would, as she followed her out into the bedroom now. "Don't try and run away. Avoiding your problems isn't gonna help you."

"My problem?" the heiress scoffed. "Oh, don't be mistaken hun. My problem doesn't just sit on it's ass, waiting for me to come at it. It _haunts_ me. It follows me wherever I go. Whatever I do, it's ALWAYS in the back of my mind. Do NOT try and use that on me, because I assure you, my 'problem' rules me like a phantom in my fucking head."

"So that's any excuse to just stop talking to your friends, disappear from your teammates. And hide away from your duty as a huntress? And most importantly, avoid your loving and sickly worried girlfriend?!" Ruby exclaimed. The white haired stopped as her eyes widened, before her left started stinging again. She could sense it, sense the growing tension happening, like her unwavering destiny. "We've all seen it, I've seen it, Yang and Blake have seen it, even fucking Nora and Ren have seen it and Nora has the attention span of a dog! You've started avoiding everybody, you never eat when you're home and the only thing you seem to consume regularly is coffee and/or tea, which has skyrocketed since we got back. You're always out late, coming home when everybody's long gone to bed. I understand what it's like to want some isolation from everyday society, but to up-and disappear from your life and your friends for weeks on end?"

"Just stop already! I'm not in the mood, alright? I have a headache-"

"No! You've been avoiding me ever since your mom's funeral, I'm trying to help you, but how can I keep my promise to you if I never see you!?"

And that was all it took. Weiss felt like she was being pushed to the limit, her frustration started to rise in her as a new feeling started bubbling in her; anger, hatred, as if catching a bout of power. She glared back at Ruby now with sharpened daggers.

" **I don't NEED YOUR HELP!** Stop acting like just because you've had people die in your life, that you are some kind of professional! Quit trying to fix something you have no idea about, and nothing to do with! My mother's death has a lot more impact than what you can even comprehend! Do you even know what it's like to lose someone so important? Do you know what it's like to have someone you love with all your heart just pass! Just fade away like a distant memory? **NO!** So don't even say you can relate with me when you have no idea what it's like to **lose your own mother!** "

Just like that, the room fell to a seemingly unending silence as Ruby's eyes widened drastically. A look of shock on her face as her lip started to quiver and her eyes began to water, though she simply bit her tongue for just a second as she shakenly drew in a long breath. "You're right. I don't know what it's like, not anymore," She spoke, catching Weiss off-guard. A few sniffles left her, though she kept her composure. "I can't remember what it's like, because my mom died in combat when I was young, trying to protect me. So yeah, I don't know what it's like to lose someone greatly important to me. _I've already lived it,_ and I know what it's like to watch that love wither and die inside of you."

Weiss' mind did a full 180 as her eyes widened, as if all the little pieces finally set in place. The selfless acts, the shyness, the depression, her childhood. Every little piece connected, and the dream was the bond that glued it all together. Before she could even register it, Ruby quietly walked over to the door, her head held low as she did, as small sniffles and sobs could be heard coming from her. "So thank you, for making me feel like more of a piece of shit than I already did." She spoke, sending a chill in the heiress as she realized. But before she could say anything, though. The redhead was gone as the door clicked shut, reality soon settling inside the pit of her stomach as everlasting fear started to sink in.

 _What… the fuck is wrong with me?_

 _What have I done?_


	40. Echter Schnee

**Hello! Welcome back to another installment. It's been awhile, Ik ik. But I've finally finished it. I wanted it to be as close to the idea that I set as possible, while still (somewhat) meeting canonized standards. So yah. Like I've said before, it's an idea/concept that I got from an anime. And before you say it. No, I'm not stealing their ideas or whatever. Everyone has a right to their own ideas and opinions, as similar or identical as they may be. If anything, I'm borrowing an idea that I find I like of the original's. Not trying to justify that stealing's okay, I'm just giving my thanks to the people and writers who came up with it first. It's not like I stole the entire plot line of it either. But anyways, yeah. So I hope you like it, and I hope it doesn't feel too op or whatever. Like I've said, I've got a good path to where I want it to go. So without further ado, enjoy** **pce**

* * *

Socializing crowds and other rowdy groups littered the hallways as everyone rushed to grab their bags and school supplies and hit the books in the library. For good reason, too. As the older classes had to do their exams earlier than most other's in the semester. Nevertheless, the bumblebee duo plowed through the crowds of people as they made their way to their lockers on the other end of the school, all-while keeping the grip on each other's hand tight as to not lose one-another in the sea of classmates. They finally made it to the end of the crowds as they started nearing their group's lockers, finding one missing, and the other empty as the duo opened their own.

"Weiss' locker's missing," Blake quipped, grabbing her books and putting them in her bag, along with one of her romance novel's –albeit trying to stuff them in as quickly as possible, whilst still being discreet about it- "And Crescent Rose's gone. Did somebody steal Ruby's baby?"

Yang snorted. "Nah, word around the school is she's a prodigal badass. Trust me, they wouldn't dare touch her baby, less they wanna play with fire." She spoke, cracking her knuckles to emphasize her statement.

"And what about Weiss'? She never came home last night, remember?" Blake spoke, a small look of worry starting to paint her face. "Could she be in trouble?"

"I don't think so. She might be a stubborn brat sometimes, but she wouldn't go out and fight all on her own. Not without some form of backup," The blonde spoke, grabbing a few miscellaneous items and tossing them in her purse. "Trust me, they probably made up and went for some sparring. You know how much Weiss' been training lately."

And with that, Yang grabbed her sunglasses as she closed her locker, flipping them open as she pulled Blake along with her, saying she wanted to go for a ride with her. with Blake happily agreeing as they made their way out.

* * *

.

 _Meanwhile…_

' _fuckfuckfuck I'm so fucking stupid!'_ The heiress thought as she continued down the pathway, lined with a trail of red rose petals that led out into the forest. Her blade held on her side as her holster did not quite work with her attire. Nevertheless, Weiss loaded a few cartridges in it as she continued to sprint for the woods.

' _Stupid stupid stupid STUPID fucking heiress!'_

Her thoughts ran off without her, thinking about everything they had done together; the night on the rooftop, the dinner, the dance. Thinking all the way back to when they even got together, when she soon discovered her marks. A pain tinged her heart as everything she thought of would be destroyed in an instant, all because of what she said. Her vision started to become skewed as little sniffles escaped her, slowing down her gait as she felt like curling up. Suddenly, her thoughts turned to something else. Something she had forgotten or thought she did. Her promise to her mom, to Ruby. As if on time, she suddenly regained her composure, as if switching to a different mode automatically. She pushed her emotions aside as she continued to move.

' _I can't let myself fall, not after everything we've been through, everything I've been through… I need to keep myself focused, if my eyes start watering, I won't be able to follow the trail._ '

And with that, a new spark entered her, as if a newfound source of power seeped into her, as she sped off down the trail with a new source of determination.

' _I need to save her,_

 _and damn the consequences.'_

The trail continued into the forest as the stone path was nearing an end, though Weiss simply sprinted into the forest without second thought as she leapt over thick roots and across the uneven surface with ease. She loaded another one of her dust cartridge's in the chamber as she searched frantically for both sign's: her Rose and the grimm within. Though finding neither of any sort as she kept up the pace.

Suddenly, as if fate were cursing her. A breeze rolled through the forest as the trail of petals were swept up and carried by the current. Cursing the change of events as she was left alone now, with no lead to follow. She looked around the area, finding nothing but the thick woods around her. the area fell silent as Weiss continued to think, the only other option being to keep moving forward as she complied without hesitation. "RUBY!" The heiress called out. Though she knew no answer would follow as she continued to trek on.

Suddenly, a shot rang out through the forest. A powerful shot, not too far from the white-haired teen as she stopped in her tracks, looking over to the sound as her eyes widened. "Ruby!" She exclaimed as she bolted it with all her might combined. Using her glyphs to move as quickly as possible as she sped through the bush with ease. As if instinct was calling her, she stopped suddenly, finding herself in a clearing as she saw the rapidly deteriorating dead grimm.

' _ **Ruby's not far**_ _'_

The thought startled her. It was not that she wasn't thinking the same thing, but rather, it spoke before she could even think it. It sounded different to Weiss, not like her thoughts, but rather, another being's. She pushed the thought away as she felt her eye beginning to close, though strangely, no pain came from it. "RUBY?!" She called again, cupping her eye as to try and alleviate whatever was wrong with it. ' _Of all the times to be irate, now's not one of them._ '

Her thoughts snapped back as the sound of rustling came from the bushes. Weiss prayed that it was who she thought it was as she slowly walked over, weapon on hand. "Ruby?" She spoke, calmly and steadily. Though her body told her something wasn't right as she continued to walk up to the noise. Suddenly, a pair of red eyes poked through the bush. Though it was concealed, Weiss could see the outline of it's body easily as she jumped up out of the way from the oncoming attack. Suddenly, as if natural, the heiress plunged down as her blade just missed the grimm's left leg, jumping clear of the way as it circled her.

' _W..what the fuck is that?_ ' she thought, staring at the oddly shaped thing as she tried to rethink of her studies. It had a rather peculiar body shape, it's body seemed to resemble a dog's, but it's body was encased in a skeletal body armour with large, bony needles lining its back like a porcupine, and a dog-like skull for a head as it's leery red eyes trained on the heiress. It circled her for what felt like forever, watching the white-haired girl, awaiting her to make the next move. Weiss' eye started to surge again, though she suddenly remembered.

"Kryptiic. A rare coyote-esque breed of grimm similar to that of the beowolf," She rehearsed, firmly grasping her blade as she started to stare at it now. "There are 2 known types of Kryptiic: Alpha and Beta. But which one's which?"

As if on cue, the coyote-grimm stopped circling as it raised its head and howled. Its voice echoing throughout the forest around them, and ultimately, bringing more of it's kin over as Weiss soon saw both kinds in the mix. The grimm all seemed to sport skeletal-esque armour around their body's, though only one had sharp quills on it's back. "Aaand now I know which's the Alpha." She stated, readying her blade as she continued to think through the biography of the grimm.

One of the Kryptiic's in the pack made the first move, making the heiress mentally pause as she simply dodged its lunge attack, though sparking the start of the fight as they all started to circle her. it spooked the heiress, watching the beasts circle around her like prey, though she wasted no time as she plunged her rapier into another one's attack. Another came up as it opened it's bony jaw to clamp down on Weiss, though she was able to block it as both collapsed onto the ground, her blade shoved in-between its mouth as she struggled to push it back. Finally, Weiss caught it off-guard as she smashed the pommel of her blade against the skull, leaving a portion of its jaw severely cracked before finally kicking it back as it smashed into the tree behind it. The heiress wasted no time getting up as she blocked the next set of oncoming attacks, though tipping her off balance as the alpha rammed into her with its bony body, sending her across the battlefield with a thud.

Weiss staggered back up, her body shaking heavily as she fought to catch her breath again. She saw, through the corner of her eye, the Kryptiics remaining starting to run towards her. Though her body felt numb as she panted. _'fuck. My aura's low. I won't be able to fend off the barrage at this rate._

 _Is this… my punishment? I've failed. My team, my family._

 _Ruby…_

...

 _ **Let me help you.**_

Weiss felt a great surge of power enter her body, her eye burning as her veins seeped with raw energy. As if it came natural to her, she grabbed the blade part of her rapier in a reverse grip as she sliced the oncoming grimm, splitting it in half with finesse. She felt her body move, as if being controlled, but still moving on her own as she drove her pommel into the next kryptiic's stomach, before sending it flying with a boot as it smashed through the nearest tree behind it. The heiress eyes went wide in surprise, though instantly went back to the battle as the other grimm latched onto her blade like a vice grip, though she simply smirked as she grabbed the hilt again and cut through it with a blow of dust. Finally, the last kryptiic stood before her. the alpha in the pack, as it pawed the ground like a bull. Weiss instinctively got into a readying stance as she pointed her blade at the grimm. Almost like a duel between hunter's, both sides started to charge as they gained momentum, the final blow. Though Weiss was caught off-guard when the grimm hopped over her swing and onto the nearby tree, about to lunge at her throat. The heiress had little-to-no time to react as she saw her impending doom, but suddenly, as if possessed, her hand spun the blade in a reverse grip again as she simply turned around and crouched, blade pointed at it's body as the grimm flew over the alabaster teen, blade stuck through it's heart as it crashed into the ground with a thud, leaving the white haired girl victorious as she finally realized the end of the battle.

"I… won?"

Weiss stood up as she peered over to the last befallen Krytiic. Where it lay, motionless on the ground before starting to disintegrate. Weiss just stood, flabberghasted beyond what she could even comprehend. She could feel herself in the battle, but she had no clue where she suddenly got the strength and skill. It felt natural to her, like years of training compiled into her 17-year-old body. Yet she had no idea what happened. How she learned to do all that. On top of it all, her body felt it, a strange surge. Her eye suddenly grew numb as she clasped it, though it grew more and more as her body flinched in pain and she collapsed onto her knees. She suddenly started to feel cold inside, numb all throughout her body. Though she caught sight of a new threat, as a small pack of beowolves submerged before her as they looked around the area, noticing the fallen girl as they sharpened their claws. The girl cared naught, though as she lowered her arms in defeat, watching as the group of 3 started to run towards her before lunging, with their big claws drawn forth as they were rearing to kill her.

 **Frostbeulen**

Suddenly, her eye burned greatly as she flinched, her vision blasting the area around her in a white hue as she watched the beowolves slowly begin to freeze up, as if in slow motion before her, before finally exploding in a puff of white. The area around her whipped around, as if in a snow storm in a wintery forest. And that was all that she could remember as her conscious faded to black, and her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she collapsed.

* * *

...

…..

…

…..

…

…..

….

 _ **Weiss** ….._

 _ **Wake up Weiss**_

Weiss groaned as her head pounded. She felt cold, hollow, as if in a mere shell of herself as she simply lay motionless, not caring where she was or what was happening around her. as if dead, but still breathing. Finally, a noise in what she could only assume was the same room as her could be heard somewhere around her as she finally came to. Her arm felt tense and painful, but manageable nonetheless as she brought it over to her face. She could feel something, a piece of something wrapped around her eyes, as if keeping them intact in her skull as she tried to free herself of it.

"Just a second, hun. Let me heal you first," A familiar old voice spoke from close by. The man walked around her before finally kneeling down. The heiress could feel a set of hands gently cover over her eyes, as if feeling them for himself. "Hmm… doesn't feel too severe. Nevertheless." He spoke, as if to himself moreso than to Weiss, before raising his hands as she heard some form of magic spell appear. Almost immediately, relief swept the heiress as her mind started to calm down. Before long, Weiss finally lifted her arm again –this time easier than previously- as she slowly undid the fabric that cloaked her ocular vision as it easily came off with a pull. Her one eye opened, though the other remained closed for some reason as she tried to open it.

"Don't. Your eye still needs to rest." The old man spoke, making the heiress turn to him as she was left dumbfounded.

"…Gr.. grandad?"

The man gave a sincere smile to his granddaughter. "How you feeling, dear?"

As if on cue, Weiss checked her body, finding bandages and gauze around the wounded areas of her body. "My wounds… you bandaged me up?"

"Well, it's been awhile since I've had to patch up a fellow hunter, good to see I still got it," He said jokingly. "Good to see you're okay. I heard a gunshot in the forest. Thought it was a hunter, so I went out to try and deter him away from the house. Fancy meeting you here."

The man handed Weiss a cup of coffee, along with a couple pills. "Here, this should help with the pain." He said as the teen downed the pills with the hot drink.

The alabaster teen looked around the place, finding herself in the Schnee cabin her grandfather lived in, resting on the main couch of the estate. "W…what happened?" She asked groggily, clutching her head as if to try and stir her thoughts back to the incident.

"Well, from what I saw. You were wounded on the ground not too far from here, and the area around you was encased in a white frost," He spoke, a small smirk piquing his lips. "So, you've finally awoken it, eh? I was wondering when the time would come."

Weiss mentally paused, uncertainty and confusion mixing with a slight tinge of anxiety made her start to worry. "A..wo..ken? w…what do you mean?" She asked.

"Why, don't you know?" Grandpa Waldin asked, though only seeming to confuse the white-haired teen more. "What? Your father never told you?" He asked, the younger teen shaking her head slowly as his look turned to surprise. "Huh. I guess he truly has forgotten the way of the Schneewittchen Krieger."

The old man walked around the coffee table to the rather comfortable looking chair as he slowly sat down in it. "The Schneewhiten… w-what do you speak of, grandpa wally?" Weiss asked curiously, making the man smirk again.

"Ah, the Schneewittchen Krieger. An ancient clan, one that dates back way before you and I were even born on this battleland. There lived a clan, born and raised in the mountains of Atlas before it came to be a monopoly city. Schneewittchen Krieger, the _Snow-White Warriors_. A fearsome and well-respected clan back in Mantle's time. It was said that these ancient warriors had tools and knowledge far beyond their times, and the secret component that made their clan so unique. See. They weren't exactly number 1 in their time -the _silver-eyed warriors_ took that pedestal- but they came as a close second due to the knowledge and skill they had acquired during their time."

Weiss mentally paused as she took a swig of her coffee, taking in the info thoroughly as she did. "Knowledge? Secret component? What did they have that we don't have today?"

"Balance of Life," Waldin spoke. "Secrets gifted to them by their ancestors before, and a power that could possibly be on par with that of the _silver eyes_."

"Silver eyes? W-what kind of power are we talking about?" The heiress asked, a look of concern etching on her face. Though the man simply sighed.

"Well, it's a bit of a long story, one that'd take awhile to fully convey," The grandfather replied, taking a swig of his coffee. "Simply put. The Silver eyed warriors were able to keep order with the maidens, the Schneewittchen Krieger was able to restore balance, and rule out darkness where it came through their special ability, or power, if you would."

"And what kind of power would that be?" Weiss asked curiously, with every new fact making her more interested. "Whatever it is, it must be the handiwork of dust."

The old man laughed, a hardy chuckle rumbling throughout the house. "Hohoho! Still gets me," He exclaimed. "Your older sister said the same thing the day I told her about it too, funny how it runs in the family."

"Wait, so-"

"Winter knows of it too," Waldin interjected. "It's a hereditary thing, after all."

"What is this thing? How do I know _I_ possess it?!" Weiss started to question, her voice growing as her thoughts mixed with uncertainty.

Almost instantaneously, Grandfather Schnee closed his right eye, reopening it immediately as the heiress stared in awe. His sclera appeared to darken almost to black, and his entire eye was transformed into an octagonal shape, with the edges slowly etching out before coming to a close. The heiress had to almost keep her jaw from hitting the floor as she gawked at the sight in utter amazement.

 _A… snowflake._

As if on que, her left eye suddenly opened as the same power she saw and felt back in the forest started to surge again. her mind going numb for a brief second, though subsiding as the man sighed in relief.

"Ah, looks like yours is fully awakened," Waldin spoke. "It usually takes a few tries to get it to open on it's own, but yours has seemed to do it with ease."

"M…my…?

" _Schneeflockenauge_. Your _snowflake eye_." The old man stated, holding up a small mirror for Weiss to see. And what she saw made her gasp in shock. Similar to that of her grandfather's, her left eye had a snowflake shape etching out of her pupil; 3 bars on each side of her pupil, and 1 that pointed vertically on each side. Along with the snowflake pattern, the actual pupil seemed to have a transparent looking circle inside, barely visible from even a normal length apart. Her iris glowed a shimmering light blue hue, and her sclera seemed to have darkened as well, though not as much as that of her grandfathers.

"My… eye." Was all she could muster, as she continued to gawk at the image before her that seemed to emanate out of her left eye socket.

"Magnificent, isn't it?" The old man remarked, closing his as the eye returned to normal. "It's a power that nobody else other than our family possesses, Weiss. You should feel honoured to have been able to unlock it when you did."

"H…how did I unlock it?" The heiress asked, confused at how exactly. "I don't remember having been able to use it before. What caused it to sprout?"

The man scruffed his chin hair, his face forming in thought a possibility. "Usually, one has to be under a serious or detrimental amount of emotion for a certain amount of time before the eye starts to form. Most commonly, stress and hardship play a good factor. Back in our time, The Snow-white warriors were battle-hardened fighters, meaning their inheritance came naturally with experience. But those times are over now," He spoke, looking back over to his granddaughter.

"And what about Winter? How did she awaken hers?"

"Winter's started when she had to make the ultimate decision: Whether to stay in regular schooling, knowing she'd be higher than the rest of her classmates until she graduated, or leave everything behind. Her friends, her family, everyone she ever knew and loved, to join the specialist forces unit in Atlas' military and fight in the frontlines," Grandfather Waldin explained. "She made the hardest decision of her life, Weiss. She mulled over it for weeks on end, it filled her with pain and sorrow. And that's when she started to feel it. She hadn't fully awoken it until her first real mission, she had a panic attack, not knowing what was wrong or why, which lead me to call upon her to take her in."

"Wait, you-"

"Winter, was the previous Schnee to have awoken her power.

 _Now, it's your turn._ "


	41. Echter Schnee Wiedergeboren

**Hello! Welcome back to another installment. My god, it's been too long, Ik. I've just been really stressed out lately, between setting up for college and working nights and whatever else that seems to come my way (and the dope aint really helping either, xcept y'know, stress relief). So yeah. But I have been working hard, and I think I'm starting to get it sorted out. So I shall be talking to Topaz soon about the next BOA (cuz tbh, we haven't really brainstormed or talked rly since, like April), so yeah. I hope to hear back from y'all. And as always, Stay tuned!**

 **Oh, and happy Mother's day.**

* * *

Weiss briskly jogged through the deep woods. Her mind filled with the days events as she tried to compile it all in her head. She soon saw the trail of petals that grandpa Waldin spoke of as her eyes lit up, following it now as she thought back to her grandfather's words, and the idea she had envisioned…

….

…

 _Earlier…_

The room was quiet as the duo sipped their coffee's together, admiring the calmness that surrounded the cabin. Weiss had so many questions, but not much time for them all as she tried to compile what she wanted to know first and foremost.

"I had a vision you'd be coming today."

The heiress mentally jolted as she blinked, returning to reality as she finally processed his statement. "S..sorry?"

"I had a dream about you awakening your eye. There were a lot of scenes, but I think I've narrowed it down," The old man spoke, taking a swig of his coffee as he begun to pace around his side of the room. "You were being pushed to make a decision that took place somewhere near a funeral. There was a big party at one of the luxury mansion's your mom's side of the family owned. There was also a fight, a big one, I saw a lot of broken debris. Then, at the end, there's a lot of racing thoughts. A big decision compiled together."

The alabaster teen's eyes widened as the memories of that night flooded in, clutching her forehead as she massaged it gently. It finally subsided as she looked back to the man, whom simply looked at her.

"Ah, repressed flashbacks," He spoke. "So, that vision was right after all."

Weiss remained still, though slowly looking down as she nodded. "That's, pretty accurate." She stated, looking back up at him. She inhaled calmly, letting it out slowly before beginning.

….

Weiss explained to him the whole story. Her mom's funeral, her meltdown, the after events. Everything she had remembered, and then, her fallout after returning home.

"Hmm. I see now," He spoke, a sympathetic look to him as he sat back down. "I can see why it awoken so quickly. I'm so sorry to hear what happened to your mom."

The heiress nodded before taking a swig of her coffee, finding herself to the last sip though as she finished it and placed it down on the table. "I'm stuck, I don't know what to chose, between doing what I grew up with and taking over the reigns of the SDC, I just, don't know," Weiss spoke, her emotions rising in her, though pushing them away as she kept her composure. "On the one hand, I've grown up training and practicing to become a full-fledged huntress because of my mother. But on the other, I have the international company, one that I've lived and grown up with. My first weapon was actually made by the SDC, hand-crafted and tuned up by the finest blacksmiths in all of Atlas. It was a gift, as part of my inheritance to the business."

Weiss looked up to her grandfather with a look of seriousness to her. "Do you understand Grandpa? Do you truly get what's going on?" She asked sympathetically. The man nodding in compliance. "I'm being stretched to my limit and forced to make a decision that might cost me my entire future, one way or another. And I-I, I don't know..."

There was a moment of silence as Weiss hung her head low, walking over to the window beside her as she stared out into the forestry, as if looking for her answers there. A set of footsteps entered the atmosphere as Weiss awaited some answer. "There was a guy I knew, who once shared a similar fate," Waldin spoke, catching the white-haired girl's' attention slightly. "He had lived his life by the books and was certain that that was the only way. But he had a twist of fate, his family was the bloodline to the best huntsman in the world of Remnant. It was with that connection that he landed a job that most people would die to have. But it was almost never even considered until that night, when the group meeting took place.

That man, was your father."

Weiss shot up after that last statement, ears piquing with interest as she gave her grandfather her full attention. "D..dad?"

The man nodded and chuckled, crossing his arms as he reminisced. "Ah, yes. I remember that meeting too. He was talking about his new job, and how there was a possibility in the industry that could get him into the higher levels. I didn't know what to say. I was happy, but we're a dying breed now, only a few of us left that can be called _echter Schnee,_ true Schnee," he stated, turning to her. "I asked him what he'd do with his heritance, his clan. After all, he grew up in it. But he hadn't really thought much of it until it was brought up."

"What did you guys decide?"

"Well, after a long, hard talk. We came up to a compromise, one that'd benefit both wishes," He stated, looking sternly into the heiress' eyes. "And thus, the _Schnee Dust Corporation_ was born. Under his guise, and my experience. He built it up higher than I could've ever imagined, and when you two were born, he promised to bestow the Schnee legacy to you and your sister."

The old man paused, pivoting 90 degrees as he too stared out the window. "Only you girl's left now, you and your sister are the last descending echter Schnee's in our family. The Schneewittchen Krieger foretells of this in it's last remains," the grandfather added, turning his head over to his granddaughter. "It's a very long chapter, but to sum it up, you two are the Schneeengel, Snow Angels."

"Snow angels? No offence grandpa, but this is starting to sound a bit like mythology." Weiss spoke, confused by it all.

"Oh-ho, but it's not. Or rather, it's more-so legacy," the grandfather continued. "Getting into it would be very complex, but simply put, one of you girls' destined for greater good. A humble and honourable legacy. It sounds like fairy tale blasphemy at first, but reality has a way of opening one's eyes towards it. You will come to understand that in come time."

The heiress nodded. Though the million-dollar question reoccurred in her mind as she looked up to her granddad. "S..so, what does it all mean? What do I do about my destiny?" She asked, her voice sounding more and more desperate as she did.

"You do what you think is right for you, whether it be a huntress or a CEO of a business. Your calling will come, in due time. But you must prepare for the trip before you set off," Waldin replied, planting his hand on her shoulder. "be patient, my little snowflake. Answers won't come out of nowhere, and time has a way of helping enjoy the finer things before it's truly needed. What I'm trying to say is, isn't there something more important to do than soul-searching right now?"

As if on cue, Weiss' brain lit up as she turned to the closest clock, finding herself half an hour into her search. "My god, I forgot. I-I got into a fight with… one of my-"

"You got into a fight with your girlfriend, my biggest bet," Waldin spoke, the heiress looking away in shame before the old man chuckled lightly. "Don't let it eat you up in guilt. There's a time for everything in a relationship, a time for love, hardship, trifle, and pain. I know your grandmother and I had our disputes, all of which making us grow closer and closer together."

The old man motioned Weiss to follow, with the latter complying as they walked out onto the front porch where her rapier and a med kit sat against the railing beside the staircase. "I'm not gonna pry you for change, but all I ask is that you make sure to balance what you love and cherish. Should you have the time to practice and train your eye, I will be here, or somewhere around. But fret not about it, nor the big question," The old man spoke, grabbing the kit and her rapier as he handed both to her. "find what drives you first, and let fate decide where you go. And I think you should start with the trail of rose petal's leading to the cliffside just little ways into the forest."

Weiss nodded as she grabbed her items, giving her grandfather a smirk. "T…thank you grandpa. I will try to come back soon." She replied, giving the man a hug.

"Now, go and make amends with your rose," He spoke, the heiress nodding as she backed up a couple steps, before jogging down the small staircase and bolting towards the bush. Hopping over it with ease and disappearing in the thick brush.

"Good luck, little snowflake."

* * *

The heiress felt stiff as she pushed her muscles to move once again, though it became easier as she continued through the afternoon woods. She hopped over roots and through the forest, searching for the trail as her thoughts started to drift. Back to the night, the funeral, the truth. It felt odd to her. With the events splayed out, she started to search deeper. Looking for clues, hints, things she might've missed at the time. Searching and searching, until the sight of rose petals caught her eye, and the pieces finally started to click as she stopped.

' _The letter…'_

Her mind drifted to the thought of the letter, as she started to walk down the new trail she had uncovered.

' _An untold story. Secrets, kept away to keep the peace.'_

She climbed over another root as her thoughts started to make sense of it all.

' _a caged bird, set free by separation,'_

She pushed a low hanging branch up as she ducked under it, continuing the trek as she started to come towards a clearing, and finally, it hit her.

"…freedom, through sacrifice."

It was then that Weiss looked up, noticing a red cloak that swayed with the calm breeze as rose petals floated away from the girl, as if the cloak symbolized the freedom. And then it clicked to the heiress.

' _Two paths, an impasse through sacrifice, and 2 lost souls…_

 _She was once in my shoes… that's why she was so worried.'_

Weiss soon realized as a pain gripped her heart, clutching it as she lowered her head in guilt and shame. She started walking up again, up to the clearing, where the cloaked girl sat crouched. Her sudden presence made the girl in question cock her head to the side to see, rising up shortly after as she turned. And that's when Weiss saw. The cobblestone tablet that lay on the edge of the cliffside, with the engraved rose at it's base, the heiress cupping her hands to her mouth as to try and suppress the growing pain and sorrow wallowing up inside of her.

" _M-my god, Ruby,_ " Weiss muttered lightly, looking up at the slowly approaching redhead, whom donned the calmest of complexions. "R-Ruby I, I'm so sor-!"

The heiress gasped in shock, as Ruby backhanded her with full force across the face, almost causing her to fall as she staggered sideways. Her body shook with a growing pain as she brought her hand shakily up to the area of impact, trying her very best to not collapse and bawl her eyes out, but breaking away as a few hics and sniffles escaped and her lip wobbled. She turned her head slowly back over to the redhead with her head hung low in guilt. " **That's** for giving me a panic attack while waiting sickly for you to come home last night." Ruby stated.

Weiss had a thousand different rampant thoughts churn inside her mind. One wanted to run away, disappear forever, another told her she wasn't worthy enough for her, it started to build inside of her, like an ever-growing storm whipping around in her mind trying to form a tornado. But it suddenly halted when a set of arms slowly and calmly wrapped around her upper body, pulling her in as the redhead gave her the firmest and warmest of hugs. "That's for the night I missed holding you close."

The heiress' eyes widened, her mind shutting down as utter disbelief started to form. Her body and soul started to overload with a flurry of emotion as she could feel her heartstrings fraying, pulling the redhead in closer as the tears started to flow out. "I-I'm sor-rry!"

Weiss started to bawl, gripping the redhead tighter as she planted her head in the crook of the shorter girl's head. Her body writhed in sorrow and guilt as her arms trembled around her girlfriend, gripping her like she would lose her if she didn't and cried. The heiress suddenly lost her balance as she collapsed, though was caught up in the arms of her girlfriend as they both fell to the ground. It mattered little to Weiss, though, as she sobbed into the girl's shirt. All-while the redhead coaxing the girl as she whispered calm, soothing words into her ear.

…

* * *

The area fell silent as the duo sat on the ground floor. Weiss awoke to the feeling of soft, warm arms coursing up and down her back, a feeling of enlightenment entered her as she returned the warm embrace. The heiress had missed the times she could be close to her girlfriend, the feeling felt anew to her as she wished she'd never leave the spot.

"Welcome back," Ruby greeted comfortingly, kissing the girl's cheek softly. "You passed out for a little bit. You looked so peaceful, so I didn't want to wake you."

"I.. passed out?" She finally spoke, the feeling of timelessness in her as she looked up at the sky.

Weiss got up off of the shorter girl's lap as she soon saw the tablet again. Her eyes piqued in curiosity as she slowly walked over to it, noticing the engraved flower again, with the words _'_ Summer Rose- _Thus Kindly I Scatter'_ below it. Weiss' eyes widened. Her guilt and shame starting to rise in her once again as she looked down.

"Weiss," The heiress' thoughts halted as she turned to the redhead's approaching voice behind her. Ruby walked past the latter as she now stood in front between her and the gravestone. "I want you to meet someone."

Weiss had a sense of déjà vu as a light breeze rolled around, bringing in a flurry of rose petals that swirled around the spot Ruby indicated. ' _My god… It wasn't a dream after all,'_ Weiss thought. ' _What god forsaken entity would do something to her like that?'_

Ruby took Weiss' silent musings as an indication to go on. "This is my mom."

Weiss wasn't really sure what to do in such a situation, so she did the only respectable thing she could think of and bowed. "I-it's an honour to finally meet you." She greeted.

Ruby smirked, wrapping her arms around her left. "She's the one I told you about, back in the summer time," The redhead spoke. "Weiss Schnee."

As if on cue, Weiss' eyes widened again as she soon remembered that day too, before it all began. She remembered Ruby falling to the ground, remembered being worried sick. And now, thinking back to the day. Weiss was almost certain that that was when she started to feel it, when she felt something she thought froze over a long time ago. A rekindled light in her heart. A blush grew on her cheeks as she remembered the night in the cave, sleeping with her little redhead in her arms for the first time. And she knew it was true when she felt the same spark enter her even today. But a new question entered her mind, one she cringed about just thinking through. Why was she prone to making so many mistakes? She had thought her choices were made thoroughly and considerably, but thinking back to it, it seemed almost foolish of her to think so. Weiss felt dumb in that sense. Her decisions were always being pulled between what she thought was right, and what she thought was best, though never seeming to meet either standpoint at the end. A frown spawned on her face as she looked down, thinking through it all as the big question came to her.

' _What is wrong with me…_

 _Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with me?! I can't make a simple enough choice I have to tread through dangerous territory just to figure this shit out?! Even going so far as to pull my rose in this too. As if she doesn't have enough problems, I gotta go make more for her._

 _I… I'm so stupid when it comes to love. I-I'm such a bad girlfriend…'_

Weiss' thoughts stopped only when a firm pressure squeezed at her arm, turning to it as she saw her love, a content smirk on her face as she tilted her head in bliss. The heiress' heart stopped as she too wanted to smile, but then it sank as she came to realize something.

"Weiss."

The heiress looked back to her girlfriend, eyes darkened by her own guilt, though pushing it aside as she looked at the redhead.

"Don't be sad, Weiss. It doesn't suit you," Ruby spoke, actually making the white-haired girl chuckle a bit as she started to smirk. "I should've told you sooner, back in the bus on our date night, I'm sorry."

Weiss gave a small frown as she shook her head. "No Ruby. It's my fault," She spoke. "Sorry doesn't even begin to fix the mistakes I've made, nor the ones I keep on making. I…-"

The teen was silenced when the same pressure she had felt spread around her body, enveloping her in a warm embrace as she looked down. "You're not perfect Weiss. Nobody is, especially when it comes to love. You and I, we're both new to this."

Ruby gave the heiress a smile, assuaging the latter slightly as she continued to listen. The redhead pulled Weiss over to the edge of the cliff as the duo sat down. "Remember when we first met? I almost blew us up to bits," Ruby spoke, making Weiss snort as she nodded. "God, I was a nervous wreck. But we were the first to meet in the battlefield during initiation, and you came back. It was like, you were giving me a second chance, and I'm still grateful to this day that you did. We've fought, survived, conquered, and best of all, we did it together."

"What are you trying to get at, Ruby?" The heiress asked, still not quite understanding it all.

"We've been through hardship after hardship, whether it be in the field, or in our relationship," The hooded girl replied, the duo looking at one-another as the former smiled. "Yeah, I've been mad at you before, but thinking back to what we've done, everything we've been through together. There isn't another person I'd rather do it with, and I'd do it all over again without a second thought."

Weiss' eyes widened in shock, before a sympathetic look took over. The heiress smirked in bliss as the duo sat there. That was, until a sudden feeling swept the redhead up as her pupils too dilated, before closing as she returned the even pressure on her lips and falling back onto the warm ground.

…

...

' _She's the one. *giggles* she's cute. You sure have a great taste in women, my sweet little rose._

 _I can rest peacefully now, knowing you're happy with her. knowing you're safe._

 _and your long-awaited wish,_

 _has finally come true.'_

A group of white rose petals wisped around the gravestone as an ethereal face of a woman appeared, a content smile to her complexion as she looked to the duo in bliss. Though soon fading away as the white rose petals were whisked away by the calm afternoon breeze, floating away into the warm sky as Weiss caught a glimpse of it, before returning to what was more important to her.

 _I love you, my little rose._


End file.
